A Delicate Condition
by Shawny Wong
Summary: A mistake at the hospital’s pharmacy causes trouble for many kunoichi in Konoha – and Hinata finds herself in a delicate condition. Written for Thirty Kisses community on Live Journal. NaruHina. Minor pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaIno.
1. Prologue

Title: A Delicate Condition

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: A mistake at the hospital's pharmacy causes trouble for many kunoichi in Konoha – and Hinata finds herself in a delicate condition. Written for Thirty Kisses on Live Journal. NaruHina. Minor pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaIno.

* * *

**Prologue**

Rei Tanaka hated her job at the Konoha Hospital.

The 22 year-old _assistant_ nurse scowled, marring her pretty face, as she worked her shift in the storage room behind the Konoha Hospital Pharmacy. She labeled and sorted the large containers of various medicines and drugs almost viciously. Afterwards, she needed to measure out the correct number of dosages, transfer the pills into small individually labeled bottles, and place them on rolling carts. Another assistant nurse or pharmacist would move them into the pharmacy later. It was such a waste of her time and talents!

She was being put to work like a common grunt! Five years ago, when she had decided on a career change, she had not envisioned _this_! Working long hours and dealing with cranky children, taking temperatures and blood pressures, and giving shots; not to mention, making beds and cleaning _bedpans_! Her nose wrinkled in disgust. And now she was forced to do menial tasks. The job was nowhere near as glamorous as she had imagined. She was supposed to _shine_ by saving the life of a handsome ninja and earning his eternal devotion. How was she supposed to do _that_ back _here_?

The _assistant_ nurse hated her direct supervisor, Head Nurse Shiori – for subjugating her to menial labor and never giving her an opportunity to _shine_. (Rei conveniently forgot about all the opportunities she _had_ been given to advance; she had flubbed them all through carelessness or poor performance.) But she hated Sakura Haruno more.

Sakura was doing everything that _Rei_ was supposed to be doing! Sakura was responsible for saving the lives of many people, including one Sasuke Uchiha. And now, they were dating! Not only that, but any time a handsome ninja their age was admitted into the hospital, Sakura oversaw their medical care _personally_, never giving Rei a chance to assist (or flirt) with any of them. Sakura was just hogging all the good-looking guys to herself! In the last year, Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuuga, Shikamaru Nara, Kiba Inuzuka, and even that blond knockout Naruto Uzumaki had been admitted into the hospital for various reasons. A ninja career was not exactly a _safe_ career. Even when Rei worked on the same floor as those particular patients, she never caught more than a glimpse of them!

It was so unfair!

(It never even crossed Rei's mind that the _real_ reason Sakura took over their medical care was because they were Sakura's _friends_ and she wanted to make sure that they received the best medical care the hospital had to offer.)

Rei fumed. If she had to work in the pharmacy, she should at least get to work in the Hokage's special pharmacy, the one with the _important_ drugs – the one with the dangerous poisons, delicate antidotes, soldier pills, and rare medicinal plants. But that pharmacy was under the direct supervision of Shizune, the Hokage's assistant, and her handpicked team of medic-nin. Instead, her boss had shunted Rei off to the _regular_ pharmacy, the one with the less-hazardous drugs and medicines – the one used mostly by civilians for treating things like the common cold!

Rei was important, too! She could do important work! She grit her teeth in frustration.

A knock at the door temporarily distracted her from her dark thoughts. Rei immediately felt her spirits lift. The orderly at the door wasn't a ninja, but he was cute! She licked her lips in anticipation.

_Well, well, well. Things are looking up._

"Nurse Tanaka-san?" he asked looking at her nametag. "Head Nurse Shiori sent me down with these two boxes for you to dispense and label. We just received that extra shipment of drugs from the supplier. Sorry about the delay."

He set the boxes on the table and checked the clipboard in his hand. Then he double-checked the numbers on the side of each box.

"Okay. The box on the left has that new brand of calcium supplements, Wada Calcium CD3, that's supposed to be more effective than the one we already have in stock. The box on the right is the one containing…"

But Rei wasn't paying any attention to his words. She was just paying attention to the way his lips were moving. She slowly eyed him, up and down.

_Mmm… Nice body, green eyes, dark hair, and kissable, kissable lips. Jackpot!_

"… and Head Nurse Shiori said she wants this done ASAP. Do you have any questions?"

"Only one, _Arata-kun_," she purred after glancing at his nametag. Rei fluttered her eyes at him coquettishly. "Are you free tonight? We could go get some drinks and wind down after work. My treat."

"Oh! Um…" Arata chuckled nervously, belatedly noticing that she had closed the distance between them. "I'm sorry, Tanaka-san. I already have plans. But thank you for the offer."

"Are you sure? I'm sure we'd have a _great_ time." Rei deliberately widened her eyes and feigned a pout. She knew from years of practiced flirting that she was coming on a bit too strong, but she didn't care. She was desperate for a distraction from her tedious job!

"I should go. I'll tell Head Nurse Shiori you've received her instructions then. Bye!"

Rei pouted for real as he almost ran away.

_Hmph! He was no fun at all!_

Rei grimaced. It was time to go back to work.

_Now… are the calcium supplements in the box on the right or the box on the left?_

If she called her boss to double check, Shiori would scold her. Again. In fact, Shiori might even issue her a written warning. (Shiori threatened to do so every time Rei made a teeny tiny mistake.) Too many of those would threaten her job.

_Bitch._

_Whatever. I'm sure he said that the Wada Calcium CD3 is in the box on the right – which makes the box on the left the…_

She reached for the loose papers that the cute orderly had left on the table beside the boxes. She skimmed the documents.

_… which makes the box on the left the… Monogestin – the oral contraceptive pills._

Rei Tanaka hated her job – with a passion. She yanked open one of the cabinets and took out over three dozen sterile, mini-bottles. She dropped them carelessly on the worktable – ignoring the ones that rolled off – and started labeling them: _Monogestin, 300mg_. Then she slashed open the big box on the left, and measured out the small white pills. She poured the pills into the pre-labeled bottles and sealed them.

_This job sucks._

* * *

**Three months later…**

Tsunade hated her job as the Hokage.

_Admit it._ Her conscience whispered. _You don't really hate being the Hokage. Tell the truth._

She sighed and amended her thoughts. _Fine._ She didn't hate her job as the Hokage. Being the Hokage had its perks. She loved watching over the village that her grandfather founded. She loved guiding it towards a more prosperous future. She loved working at the hospital and saving the lives of her ninja. Most of all, she loved the way it made her feel closer to her love, Dan, and her brother, Nawaki. By living their dream, she felt like a part of them would always be with her. But…

_Damn all this paperwork!_

Tsunade hated her paperwork – with a passion. It was the absolute worst part of being the Hokage – the never-ending, stream of paper that she always tried to foist off onto her loyal assistant, Shizune. Unfortunately for Tsunade, Shizune took her responsibilities as the Hokage's assistant much too seriously! No matter how often Tsunade put off doing her paperwork, Shizune always managed to bribe, threaten, or cajole her into doing it. Tsunade had been stuck behind her desk for _hours_. She eyed the tall stack of documents in her inbox suspiciously. Somehow the stack never seemed to shrink no matter how much she worked! Tsunade wished desperately for a paper shortage. Too bad Konoha was located in the middle of a forest! Paper was going to be very abundant, for a _very_ long time.

_Evil, evil paperwork! If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Orochimaru invented it just to torture me. Bastard's certainly sadistic enough. I can't wait until Naruto's ready to take this job from me. Then I can retire and I'll never have to see another piece of paper – unless it's a lottery ticket – ever again!_

She was already grooming the blonde as her successor. In fact, she had pulled him from his duties as ANBU captain last year so that he could lead a genin team. Strictly speaking, leading a genin team wasn't a prerequisite for becoming Hokage. But it _was_ a tradition – and the village council loved traditions. Every single Hokage from her grandfather, the Shodaime, to herself had led a genin team before becoming the Hokage. She sighed again. In the last ten years, Naruto had come a long way from the loudmouthed brat that he'd been at the age of 12. He'd made amazing progress. He'd completed a record number of successful missions during his stint in ANBU and he was one of the best jounin team sensei she'd ever seen. His genin absolutely _adored_ him. But… Naruto wasn't ready to be Hokage – not yet. Not yet, but soon, very soon.

For now, she would just have to suck it up and do the _thrice damned_ _paperwork_!

Tsunade approved a request for a tract of empty land to be converted into farmland for crops. She approved a request for an additional fulltime teacher at the Academy. Then she reviewed a proposal from the village council to establish a permanent ninja liaison in the Fire Daimyo's court in the capitol city. However, the next document she pulled from the stack made her stop short.

It was a request for a leave of absence from active duty from one of her kunoichi. Her eyes flew down to the box explaining the reason for the request: Pregnancy.

The request _by itself_ wasn't a cause for concern. (These things happened occasionally.) Except, the request _wasn't_ by itself. Hadn't she just approved _three_ other requests for a leave of absence due to pregnancy this morning? That made this one the fourth request. Not one to believe in coincidences, she quickly flipped through the stack of documents in her inbox, pulling out all requests for a leave of absence. There were 15 in all – 13 of which were due to pregnancy.

Tsunade _knew_ all of these kunoichi. While she was not particularly close to any of them, she knew them to be capable, responsible ninja with high mission success rates.

What in the world was going on?

* * *

Hinata was so tired she almost skipped out on lunch with her girlfriends.

Every Thursday, as long as they were in the village and not out on a mission, Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Tenten would have a late lunch at Emi's Bakery and Café. Hinata couldn't remember how this particular tradition started, but she was very grateful for it. It was through these lunches – and with the steady encouragement of her friends – that she finally found the courage to confess her love to Naruto two years ago.

At first, Naruto had been shocked speechless, but when he recovered from the shock, he was _intrigued_. (To Hinata's disappointment, he had not immediately reciprocated her feelings.) His genuine interest in her was _much_ better than the rejection Hinata had been expecting. Naruto had readily agreed to go on a date with her. Two years later, they were still together. And…

_Naruto-kun loves me!_

Just thinking about it made her giddy. Hinata could hardly believe that she'd gained the affections of her childhood crush. She smiled as she thought of Naruto. He was currently away with his genin team on a C-ranked mission to Tea Country, but they were due back next week.

Hinata slid into their regular booth and slumped gratefully into the cushioned seat. It looked as if she was the first one to arrive. She closed her eyes and took deep meditative breaths to conserve her energy. She couldn't understand the source of her fatigue. In the last week, she had been so tired that she was forced to take a long nap each afternoon. Unfortunately, the naps only recharged her for a little while. She went to bed early, slept in late, and she was _still_ exhausted! She wasn't doing anything unusual. Just some light training in the morning to keep her ninja skills sharp. Was she coming down with a cold? Maybe she should pick up some vitamins from the pharmacy after lunch to boost her immune system.

The bell over the door of the little café tinkled merrily. Hinata smiled. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were here.

An hour later…

Sakura shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Her back was _killing_ her! Tsunade had her poring over boxes and boxes of medical scrolls that had been donated to the Konoha Hospital by a small clan in ex-Rice country. (The clan had requested an A-ranked mission but didn't have the necessary funds, so they had worked out a trade. In lieu of a monetary payment, they would give Konoha all the medical scrolls in their possession.) However, the chairs in the Konoha Medical Library had to be the oldest, most rickety chairs in the Land of Fire! She had been hoping for a cheerful lunch with her friends to take her mind off of dusty medical scrolls. But…

Their girls' lunch had been unusually quiet. Hinata was half-asleep, barely paying attention to her surroundings. Tenten looked distracted and had trouble focusing on the conversation. And Ino… Ino was poking listlessly at a half-eaten _salad_. After Sasuke left to join Orochimaru, Ino finally started to take being a kunoichi seriously. She quit her silly low-calorie diet and ate like a normal healthy kunoichi. Besides, Ino _hated_ salad.

Sakura frowned.

"What is _wrong_ with everyone today? Ino, you _hate_ salad!"

"Don't you think I _know_ that, Forehead?" Ino snapped. She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, Sakura. My stomach's extra sensitive today. I can't seem to keep anything down. I think I have mild case of food poisoning. Chouji dragged Shikamaru and I to this hole-in-the-wall dump of a restaurant last night because they were having a buy one get one free dinner special."

"What about you Tenten?"

"Headache." Tenten said shortly, rubbing her temples. "I can't concentrate on anything because my head is pounding. Even my aim was off this morning when I was training at the target range."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Wow. That must be some headache! I've never seen you miss a target – not even when you were wounded!"

Tenten's response was a low moan.

"I've already taken the strongest pain reliever I have at home, but it's not helping. I really thought the pain reliever would have kicked in by now."

"Hinata?" Sakura nudged the quiet girl sitting beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sakura," Hinata said. She smiled reassuringly. "I'm just tired – though I'm not sure why. I've been sleeping a lot more than usual, but I'm still wiped out."

Sakura laughed a bit without any real humor.

"We're all pretty pathetic today," she mused. "Hinata's fatigued. Tenten's got a monster headache. Ino's nauseous. And I've got this killer backache from researching medical scrolls all week."

"I _feel_ pathetic today," Ino muttered as she finally pushed her salad away. "I'm getting sick just looking at food."

But Sakura didn't notice, as she was still thinking aloud. The medic in her was putting all the "symptoms" together and diagnosing the "patient." Except the only conclusion that she could come up with was just… ludicrous!

"You know… If all our symptoms occurred in one person, I'd say that she was definitely… pregnant."

"Get real, Sakura!" Ino laughed. "That's impossible!"

"I'm being serious, Ino. Those are _all_ symptoms of early pregnancy: fatigue, headache, nausea, and lower backache. Pregnant women can experience any or all of those symptoms."

Tenten shook her head.

"Ino's right, Sakura," Tenten said. "We're all active kunoichi. The chances of one of us being pregnant are so small that it's negligible… Remember? Shinobi rule number 28? All active duty kunoichi are required to take contraceptives."

The ninja life was a dangerous one. Death came swiftly to the unlucky and the unprepared. But for a kunoichi, death was one of the kindest fates they faced. Each time a kunoichi went out on a mission, she did so knowing that if she were caught (by bandits or enemy ninja), rape and torture were very real possibilities. Even kunoichi without boyfriends or spouses took contraceptives. The probability of capture and rape was too high to ignore.

"I know! I know!" Sakura said. "We're all on birth control. I just thought that it was a funny coincidence."

Hinata suddenly felt sick. She had been so exhausted that the days just blurred together. She hadn't even noticed…

"What day is today?" she asked suddenly.

"It's the 27th. Why?"

"The 27th?" she echoed faintly. "Are you sure?"

She received three identical nods. She trembled. If today was the 27th, then…

"I'm… I'm two weeks _late_."

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) Written for the Thirty Kisses challenge on Live Journal. (See my profile for more info on the Thirty Kisses challenge.)

(2) Wada Calcium CD3: http : / / www (dot) wadacal (dot) co (dot) jp / product / cd3 (dot) html

(3) Back when I first started this challenge, I just _knew_ that theme #28 (Wada Calcium CD3) was going to stump me. For the life of me, I could not come up with any good ideas. What the heck does a calcium supplement have to do with romance and kisses? Absolutely nothing! In a previous Author's Note, I mentioned that I already had plans/outlines for _almost_ all 30 themes. _This_ was one of three themes for which I had nothing planned. I bounced around a few lame ideas for a hospital scene or maybe a prank or a gag gift with calcium supplements. Pretty terrible ideas! (_sweatdrop_) Then, _this_ little plot bunny came to me. Finally! An idea for theme #28 that didn't suck! I had to write it down quickly before the plot bunny got away from me!

(4) For the purposes of the Thirty Kisses challenge, this fic is a two-part fic: prologue plus a NaruHina chapter. I have a few half-formed ideas floating around in my head for three more chapters, which would each focus on a couple (SasuSaku, ShikaIno, and NejiTen). But… I don't know… I've never written anything except NaruHina! I'm not sure I could write those other couples well or do them justice! Maybe I'll try it as an experiment… _Maybe…_

(5) My first semi-developed OC! Don't worry. You probably won't see Miss Rei Tanaka again – especially not after Tsunade gets through with her! I just needed someone ditzy to start this chain of events!

(6) EDIT 9/30/2008: I fixed a typo and changed the reference to Naruto's age in Tsunade's thoughts. FYI, the Rookie 9 are 22 years old in this fic.


	2. Chapter 1

Title: A Delicate Condition

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: A mistake at the hospital's pharmacy causes trouble for many kunoichi in Konoha – and Hinata finds herself in a delicate condition. Written for Thirty Kisses on Live Journal. NaruHina. Minor pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaIno.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Hinata hummed a cheerful tune as she put the finishing touches on dinner for her family. The soup was simmering over low heat, the rice was ready, and the salad was on the table. She added a little more seasoning to the beef stir-fry and tasted it. Perfect! She covered the dish to keep it warm. Naruto was going to love it when he came home. She blushed a little. Even after almost two years, she could hardly believe that she was married to the love of her life – and that they had created a beautiful little girl together.

From the kitchen she had a clear view of the family room, where little Haruki – who had been named after Hinata's mother – was playing with blocks. The toddler sat on the plush carpet with a look of extreme concentration on her adorable face. Hinata smiled at the sight. Haruki took after her mother in looks with her silky blue-black hair, fair skin, and the distinctive white eyes of the Byakugan. But she took after her father in personality. In that moment, with her face scrunched up with the determination to build the tallest block tower _ever_, she looked exactly like Naruto.

Hinata couldn't imagine a life without her precious daughter. Haruki's conception and subsequent birth had been an accident – albeit a happy one. At first, she'd worried about Naruto's reaction to the news of her unexpected pregnancy. Would he be angry? Upset? Would he leave her? Or… Would he be happy? Did Naruto even _want_ children? Hinata _thought_ he did, but she hadn't been sure; they had never discussed it before. In the end, her worries had been groundless. Naruto's reaction had been better than she could ever have hoped. He'd been _ecstatic_ at the prospect of fatherhood. Then he'd proposed two weeks later. Even her clan hadn't been the obstacle that she'd feared. Her father had supported her marriage to Naruto and managed to convince the clan elders to allow her to marry outside the clan – as long as she stepped down as the heiress _and_ as long as any of her children who bore the Byakugan took the surname Hyuuga and returned to the clan for training when they were of age.

The sound of the front door opening made Haruki drop all her blocks. The toddler scrambled to her feet and dashed towards the front door. Hinata followed more sedately. She rounded the corner just in time to see Haruki wrap her arms around one of Naruto's legs.

"Oof! Tadaima."

"Daddy!"

"Hi, baby girl. Did you have fun with Mommy today?" Naruto asked with a smile, as he picked her up.

"Uh-huh."

"Okaerinasai, Naruto-kun." Hinata leaned forward to give him a kiss… only to have Naruto turn his head at the last second. Her kiss landed on his jaw instead of his lips. Hinata pulled back confused and a little hurt. "N-Naruto-kun?"

"We need to talk."

"I… okay." Hinata bit her lip. This sounded important. She glanced at Haruki. "Now?"

"No," Naruto shook his head. "It can wait until after we get her to bed."

Normally, Hinata loved dinnertime with her little family. She and Naruto would exchange stories about their day as they ate and took turns feeding Haruki. Laughter and smiles were as much a part of dinner as the food itself – but not tonight. Dinner was a tense affair reminiscent of meals with her father in her childhood – when nothing she did was ever enough to please him. Naruto was silent throughout and rebuffed all of her efforts at casual conversation. After a little while, Hinata stopped trying and ate in unhappy silence. The delicious meal she had worked so hard on tasted like sawdust in her mouth. The only person to behave normally was Haruki who was thankfully oblivious to the tension between her parents.

Hinata gently shut her daughter's bedroom door behind her and made her way to the family room where her husband was waiting. She tried to squash the butterflies in her stomach. Why was she so worried? It was just Naruto.

Naruto – who loved her.

"Haruki's asleep," she said softly. She searched his eyes for answers and couldn't find them. His expression was neutral – and his eyes were shuttered.

"Good. She doesn't need to hear this."

His voice was as colder than ice. Something was very wrong. Hinata clasped her hands together tightly to keep them from trembling.

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?"

"Tsunade-baachan called me into see her today. I thought it was for another mission debriefing," Naruto said almost conversationally. Only Hinata's familiarity with all of Naruto's moods let her catch the sharp edges in his voice. "But when I got there, the honorable geezers Homura and Koharu were there with Tsunade-baachan. Good old Baachan… She had some news for me that she thought I should hear in private before the rest of the village finds out. Want to take a guess at what it was?"

Hinata shook her head mutely.

"No? Well, the rest of the village will hear the big news tomorrow. You should be _happy_, Hinata-chan. You'll be the second person to know!"

She cringed at his mocking tone.

"Tsunade's finally going to step down next year. And she's picked a successor to be the Rokudaime. Want to take a guess at who it's _not_ going to be?"

If Naruto was this upset about the announcement of the next Hokage, then that meant… Hinata gasped in dismay.

"That's right. It's _not_ going to be me."

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun," she murmured. Hinata put her arms around him – not knowing how to comfort him, but knowing that she had to try no matter what. Her effort was in vain. Naruto unexpectedly jerked out of her gentle embrace and took several steps back. His wordless rejection _stung_.

"Apparently, the Konoha Council wants a Rokudaime who will make the welfare of this village his first and only priority. They want someone who will be 100 percent dedicated to Konoha. They _don't_ want a family man tied down by a wife and kids. They don't want a leader with _vulnerabilities_. And a family is just that: a weakness to be used against the Hokage."

Hinata felt her heart sinking with every word. Was _she_ the reason Naruto wasn't chosen as the next Hokage? She felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes and took a shuddering breath. "I'm so, so sorry, Naruto-kun."

"You should be," he hissed. "This is all _your_ fault."

He didn't raise his hand to strike her, but Hinata shrank back as if he had. The venom in his voice was unmistakable. His brilliant blue eyes flashed with a terrible anger that she would never have thought him capable of on his own – without the Kyubi's influence. And… it was all directed at _her_.

"My f-f-fault?"

"If I wasn't married to _you_, Tsunade-baachan would have picked _me_ as her successor. I should _never_ have married you."

_I should never have married you…_

… _should never have married you…_

Hinata felt her world tilt precariously. His words hurt a million times worse than the Jyuken strike to her heart that had almost killed her when she was twelve. She covered her mouth with her hands in a futile attempt to stifle a sob and shook her head in denial.

_Naruto doesn't mean it. He doesn't! He's just angry right now._

But her husband wasn't finished.

"You're such a burden – always holding me back. You want to know a little secret?" Naruto leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "I never wanted to marry you in the first place."

"Then _why_?"

"I knew you were weak… Didn't think you were stupid, too." Naruto scoffed in disdain. "Why? You got yourself _pregnant_. That's why. It was the right thing to do. If I'd known that it was going to cost me my dream, I wouldn't have done it.

"This is all _your_ fault. If you hadn't gotten pregnant, I would be the next Hokage. You hold me back. You _ruined_ my greatest dream. And… Why the hell are _you_ crying? You're not the one who just lost his dream!"

By the end, Naruto was nearly shouting and Hinata's face was wet with tears.

"I'm s-s-sorry! I never m-m-meant for this to h-h-happen!" she pleaded. "I love you, Naruto-kun! You h-have to believe me!"

"You know…" Naruto continued as if he didn't hear her. "I really got a lousy deal out of life. I had a demon sealed in me at birth. I had an entire village that hated my guts growing up. I had the Akatsuki hunting me down in order to kill me in my teens. And then when things were _finally_ looking up for me, I got stuck with _you_ – the most _pathetic_ kunoichi in Konoha – and as if that wasn't bad enough, you went and destroyed any chance I had for my dream. The gods must hate me."

"Please… I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she whispered brokenly. She reached for him again… to hold his hand or wrap her arms around him… anything to close the gaping distance between them. But…

"Don't _touch_ me!"

Hinata flinched and wrapped both arms protectively around her waist. She sobbed in earnest. She wanted to apologize again – to ask for his forgiveness – but back of her throat _burned_ making speech impossible.

"I will _never_ forgive you for this."

Hinata's tilting world fell…

"I hate you!"

… and shattered.

* * *

Hinata gasped and bolted upright. Her heart was racing as if she were sprinting full speed through the treetops in the forest. The abrupt transition from deep sleep to sudden consciousness left her disoriented, so it took her a moment to realize that she was still in bed – and still crying. Hot tears splashed onto the backs of her hands.

_It was just a dream. It's not real. It was just a dream. It's not real…_

She repeated that mantra to herself as she willed herself to calm down. After a few moments, her heart rate returned to normal and Hinata dried her tears. The soft glow of the clock on the bedside table read 5:57 AM. Already the dim light of dawn was sneaking in through the window of Naruto's apartment. He and his team weren't back from Tea Country, yet. Their return had been delayed because the client had requested an extension of their services, so they had remained in Tea Country for an extra week. Normally when Naruto was away from the village, she slept in her own rooms at the Hyuuga estate in order to keep up appearances. But lately… she just missed him _so much_! Staying in his apartment even if he wasn't there made her feel closer to him. (Besides, she slept better in Naruto's bed than her own.)

Hinata swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked the short distance to the bathroom to start her day determined to forget about her nightmare. As the lights flickered on, the item sitting innocently on the counter immediately caught her attention – and her determination wavered. She had placed it there herself, last night before bed.

… _You're such a burden – always holding me back…_

"I'm not," she told herself firmly. "I'm not holding him back."

Her eyes were still riveted on the thin white plastic tube on the counter; the small viewing window on the flat side of the tube was face down. Her heart pounded fearfully. She reached out to pick it up and hesitated.

_Come on! Am I a kunoichi or not? It's just a small plastic tube. It's not going to bite!_

In one swift motion, Hinata grabbed the tube and flipped it over. Her mouth went dry and her hands shook so badly that she dropped the tube. It landed on the tile floor – face up this time – and in the small viewing window… were two very visible pink lines that crossed to form a "+" sign.

The dream… No. The _nightmare_ that she had been trying so hard to forget came rushing back. It haunted her even though she was wide-awake; it's words echoed angrily in her head again and again.

_This is all your fault… You got yourself pregnant… _

_You ruined my greatest dream… I will never forgive you for this… _

_I hate you!_

Hinata stumbled a little and put her hands on the counter for balance. She stared hard at herself in the wide mirror above the sink. Her long hair was a tangled mess from sleep and her skin was so pale it looked as if she had dunked herself in flour.

"I'm not a burden! I'm not keeping Naruto from his dreams! I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!" she told her pale reflection. Her voice shook with emotion. "Naruto loves me. I know he d-d-does. He doesn't h-h-hate me…"

The real Naruto _didn't_ hate her. Not yet. Hinata felt a burst of fear so strong that it almost made her throw up then and there. Her stomach twisted into one giant painful knot. Naruto didn't hate her _yet_… but he _would_… because…

She was pregnant.

* * *

Thirty miles away…

Naruto watched the sun come up over the treetops from his position in a large tree where he was keeping watch. The golden rays warmed his face. He shifted a little to get more comfortable and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. He definitely preferred taking the early morning watch to the late night one because of the scenery. This daybreak was particularly picturesque. The stars quietly faded from view as the red gold colors of the sun touched them and the dark sky lightened to a cheerful blue. Soon he could hear the birds of the forest singing their morning song.

Naruto and his cute little genin were on their way back to Konoha after successfully completing their third C-ranked mission: another escort/bodyguard mission. Their client was a gentleman named Meshin Bukai who was a rather pompous merchant with a business based in Tea Country. Naruto sighed a little in exasperation. In his personal opinion, Meshin had more money than common sense – and he was overly superstitious to boot! Case in point: Meshin had hired ninja bodyguards because a traveling fortuneteller had told him that he would "soon encounter trouble on his journey through life." (Naruto rolled his eyes at the memory of their first meeting with the client.) Meshin's fears were groundless, of course. They had safely escorted him back to his home without even a _hint_ of trouble. However, the morning before they were due to return, Meshin had discovered an "ill omen" in his morning cup of tea, panicked, and immediately requested that they stay another week for his "protection." There was no real reason _not_ to continue their mission (other than wanting to go home because he missed his girlfriend), so Naruto had agreed. His cute little genin earned a little extra pocket money from Meshin. So it hadn't been a _total_ waste of time!

Naruto was eager to get back to Konoha. Three weeks without his girlfriend was just too long! They traveled for several days through the treetops only stopping (very briefly) for meals and to make camp each night. He felt a bit guilty for pushing his kids so hard just because he wanted to get back as quickly as possible. (Naruto thought of his genin as _his kids_; in the year that he'd had them, his genin had become his unofficial little brothers.) His kids were fast… for genin – and had great stamina… for their age. They probably _could_ have made it home last night. But… after Ken almost ran head first into a tree, Naruto decided to have them set up camp early for once. They could all use the rest – besides, Konoha was less than half a day away from their current location.

A shaggy brown head popped out of the shared tent, followed by a small brown puppy. One of his kids was up. Naruto grinned and jumped down from his tree. He landed lightly in front of the boy – who didn't even look up; the kid was too busy rummaging in his pack looking for breakfast.

"Found it!" he exclaimed. The boy ripped open the package of beef jerky and gave some to his puppy. "Here you go, Okimaru. Morning, Naruto-sensei. Want some?"

"No thanks, Ken. Are the other two awake yet?"

Ken Inuzuka, one of Kiba's cousins, nodded. Like the rest of his clan, he was highly loyal to anyone he considered a part of his "pack" and specialized in fighting alongside his canine companion. Of the three kids, Ken was the most well rounded genin. He had good ninjutsu skills, strong taijutsu skills, and because of his close relationship with his cousin – who had been the student of Konoha's resident genjutsu master – Ken could detect and break out of all but the most advanced genjutsu within minutes. He was a bit brash and hot headed – like his cousin had been at that age – but would grow out of it eventually.

"Yeah," he said around a mouthful of beef jerky. "Koji and Takeshi are just packing up their bedrolls."

Just then two more tousled heads popped out of the tent.

"Morning, Naruto-sensei!" Koji chirped cheerfully; he was definitely a morning person.

"Damn it, Koji! How can you be so fucking cheerful _every_ morning?" Takeshi growled at his teammate; he was definitely _not_ a morning person.

"Awww…. Did Takeshi-chan get up on the wrong side of the sleeping bag this morning?" Koji had to move quickly to duck an elbow to his gut.

"Shut up. Just… shut up," Takeshi mumbled. It was too early for him to think of a sufficiently scathing comeback. (He needed some caffeine first!) He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stifled a yawn. "This is why I can't stand blondes… except for you, of course, Naruto-sensei."

"Of course," Naruto nodded sagely. He grinned as he watched the interplay between his kids.

Koji Nakano was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed orphan from one of the smaller fishing villages on the southern end of the Land of Fire. His father had been a fisherman and his mother had been a seamstress who sometimes served as a midwife for the women of her village. They had died in a bandit attack when Koji was five. So Koji had been sent to live with a distant relative – his "Uncle" Daichi – who ran a small bookstore in Konoha. He was the first ninja in his family. Most ninja skills didn't come easily to him. Though he worked hard, Koji ranked near the bottom of his class. However, he _did_ have a natural talent for setting elaborate traps with chakra strings. He also had a sunny disposition – much to Takeshi's displeasure.

Takeshi Mori was from a minor ninja clan. Unlike Koji, he ranked near the top of his class. The Mori's were distantly related to the Nara's – and as a consequence, they shared some similar traits. The Mori's tended to produce _very_ intelligent military strategists – not quite on the level of genius that the Nara clan was so famous for – but they were all very shrewd individuals, highly prized by the Intelligence department. While men of the Nara clan were infamously lazy, men of the Mori clan were only _selectively_ lazy. In other words, the Mori's only liked to work hard at things that interested them. (Getting them to work hard at things that _didn't_ interest them was an exercise in frustration.) In Takeshi's case, he was fascinated by ninjutsu – and could be found practicing jutsu and chakra control in his free time – but he found the art of taijutsu _boring_. Consequently, the only times Takeshi practiced taijutsu was under duress – and his taijutsu was the weakest on the team.

Despite their differences, all three boys were very good friends. Their teamwork was excellent – much better than that of Naruto's old genin team. There was a level of trust and camaraderie between Ken, Koji, and Takeshi that had been absent from the old Team 7. Naruto suspected that it probably had something to do with the fact that his kids didn't have anywhere near as much psychological baggage as he and his ex-teammates had. (There was himself, the attention-starved orphan hated by nearly everyone in the village. There was Sakura, with low self-esteem, no confidence, and an unhealthy crush on his other teammate. And finally, there was Sasuke, the avenger.) Oh sure. He, Sakura, and Sasuke had good teamwork _now_, but ten years ago, their teamwork _sucked_.

"Okay, my cute little genin!" Naruto smirked at the glares (and protests) being thrown in his direction. ("Who are you calling cute?" and "Hey! I'm _not_ little!" and "Stop calling us that, Naruto-sensei!") "It's time to break camp. The sooner we pack up, the sooner we'll get home. If we get back to Konoha by noon, I'll treat you guys to lunch at Ichiraku."

"Awesome! Free lunch!" Koji stuffed the rest of his breakfast – a granola bar – into his mouth and rushed to take down the tent.

"Does it have to be ramen every single time?" Ken asked in exasperation. "Why can't you take us out for steak, instead? I want meat – lots of it! Right, Okimaru?"

The little puppy barked in agreement.

"Be glad I'm treating you at all, you ungrateful brat! _My_ sensei _never_ treated us to lunch."

"Whatever," Ken muttered, but he obediently moved to help Koji take down the tent and remove traces of their campfire. Takeshi was already busy refilling their canteens with water from a nearby stream.

Seeing his kids hard at work, Naruto went to double check his own pack. He had to make sure he still had _it_. The small black box was right where he'd left it – just inside the pack and on top of all his travel gear. He knew he shouldn't carry it around with him on missions or he might end up losing it accidentally. But… at the same time, he couldn't leave it back in Konoha, either. What if Hinata found it? How would she react? No, he decided. It was better to keep it with him.

"Take it back, loser!"

"Make me, dog-breath!"

Naruto huffed in annoyance. His kids were good friends, had seamless teamwork, and were excellent shinobi… but not everything was sunshine and roses. Koji and Ken seemed to fight each other as often as they worked together! Sometimes, he couldn't tell if they were best friends or worst enemies. (He didn't think Ken or Koji could tell, either.) He didn't have to turn around to know that fists (and fur) were already flying.

"Koji! Ken! Break it up!" he said sharply.

The boys were still glaring at each other, but at least they weren't fighting anymore.

"What did I say about fighting while on a mission?" They both wilted a bit under Naruto's angry stare. "If you want to get into pointless fights do it in your own time – not during training – and definitely not during missions!"

"Sorry, Naruto-sensei."

"Sorry, Naruto-sensei."

"Two hours training with Lee-sensei tomorrow morning. Report to him at 6 AM."

"_What_?!"

"Do we _have_ to?"

"Would you like me to make that _three_ hours?"

"No!"

"Ack! Two hours is fine!"

Naruto treasured all his friendships. However, ever since he figured out how much his cute little genin _hated_ training with Rock Lee, (not that Naruto could blame them; Lee's regular training regimen was _insane_ even by _his_ standards!) Lee officially became Naruo's _absolute-best-friend-in-the-entire-world_ whenever his genin misbehaved. It was the perfect punishment. Naruto smirked. He didn't even have to lift a finger. All it took was a few hours with Lee-sensei… and his kids would be perfect little angels for _weeks_.

Ken and Koji were a bit scuffed up from their impromptu fight. Each boy had a few bruises and Ken had a black eye. There was nothing serious except for...

"Koji, come here. Let me see that." Naruto frowned. Somehow, Koji must have fallen against a jagged tree branch or a sharp rock because there was a nasty gash on his forearm that was bleeding sluggishly. "Takeshi, could you pass me the first aid kit?"

"Sure thing, Sensei."

"I don't know how you managed it, Koji – not a single scratch in three weeks while protecting the client and you get injured on the way home?" Naruto shook his head amused.

Ken looked over Koji's injury and winced.

"Sorry, man. I didn't mean for that to happen," he said guiltily.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I called Okimaru a runt. Okimaru's a great nin-dog. Aren't you, Okimaru?"

The puppy wagged his tail happily. And just like that, they were best friends again.

_What's taking Takeshi so long with that first aid kit?_ Naruto wondered. _It's just in my pack with the… Oh no!_

Too late.

Takeshi was standing beside Naruto's open pack with an odd expression on his face. He had the first aid kit in one hand and… a small black box in the other.

"Naruto-sensei? Is this what I _think_ it is?"

"Wait!" Naruto was at his side in a flash, but Takeshi had already flipped the box open and seen the contents. He snatched the box from Takeshi and quickly shoved it in his pocket before taking the first aid kit from him. "_That_ is none of your business, Brat."

"What is it? What is it? Can I see it, too?" Koji was nearly bursting with curiosity – even Ken looked interested.

"No," Naruto said shortly. He busied himself with cleaning a dressing Koji's wound.

"It's an engagement ring," drawled Takeshi.

Naruto flushed – and mentally swore to give Takeshi some one-on-one training time with Lee soon. The little brat!

"Oooh! Is it for Hinata-san? Are you going to ask her to marry you?" asked Koji.

"Of course, it's for Hinata-san. Who _else_ would sensei give an engagement ring to?" Ken rolled his eyes. Koji ignored him.

"When are you going to ask her? When are you getting married?"

"Which part of 'none of your business' do you not understand?" asked Naruto crossly. At times like this, he was grateful for being an orphan – especially if it meant not having to deal with annoying little brothers! "And we're not getting married. I haven't even asked her yet!"

"Why not?" asked Takeshi. (He was already analyzing the situation and calculating the probable outcomes.) "From the looks of it, that's a custom-made ring. You didn't get it from Tea Country. So you must have gotten it before we left Konoha – which means you've had it for over a month, probably longer. What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing!" he said almost defensively. "I just haven't found the right moment yet."

Takeshi's dark eyes took in the subtle tension in his sensei's stance and frowned thoughtfully. _Funny. Naruto-sensei usually loves talking about Hinata-san, but these questions are inducing a fight-or-flight response. Could he be…_

"Naruto-sensei," he said carefully. "Are you afraid she'll say _no_?!"

"No! Of course, not!" But Naruto had never been a good liar. None of his kids looked like they believed him. He deflated a bit and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well… Maybe just a little bit."

That was a lie, too.

Naruto was more than just a _little bit_ afraid; he was downright petrified. They had never discussed their future together – and Hinata had never indicated that she wanted anything more permanent with him. What if she didn't? What if he was moving too fast? What if he scared her away? Things were going so well in his life right now. The Akatsuki threat was gone. Sasuke was back where he belonged. A few months ago, Tsunade-baachan had told him – in private ("And that means you keep it to yourself, Brat! Don't go shouting it from the top of the Hokage Monument, either!") – that she intended to make him her successor. And… best of all, he had an amazing girlfriend who _loved_ him. He shouldn't be greedy – wishing for more; he should be satisfied with whatever affection Hinata was willing to give him.

"Naruto-sensei… You're a really great teacher," said Takeshi seriously.

"You know hundreds of awesome jutsu – and you can kick ass like no one else," added Koji.

"You've taught us so much about life and about being a ninja. But sometimes…" said Ken.

"You're an idiot!" they chorused together.

"Hey! Show some respect, brats!"

"Don't worry so much, Naruto-sensei," said Takeshi grinning. "I've analyzed all the data. Hinata-san is very much in love with you. She won't say no."

* * *

Twenty.

It was too much to be a coincidence.

Tsunade frowned as she tallied the number of pregnant kunoichi that she _knew_ about. In all likelihood, there were probably more. Symptoms for pregnancy didn't always show up right away, so there could be more kunoichi who were pregnant and didn't even know it! Enough was enough. Either, _all_ her kunoichi decided to have babies at the _same time_ – very unlikely – or somehow, the contraceptives were failing – but _how_? As a medic, Tsunade set very strict standards on the production of all drugs within her village.

"Shizune!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"I want you to start an investigation for me – discretely." Tsunade handed Shizune the folder of facts that she'd compiled. Shizune quickly flipped it open and skimmed the first page. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Start by interviewing a few of those kunoichi. Then pick up a few samples of all the different contraceptives we have at the Konoha Hospital pharmacy and send them to my personal lab for testing."

"Right away, Tsunade-sama!"

* * *

_I'm a terrible person._

Her first impulse upon discovering that she was _pregnant_ was to hide it and _never_ let Naruto find out. Then common sense reasserted itself. How in the world was she going to hide her pregnancy once she started to show? (She toyed briefly with the idea of applying a genjutsu on herself – but that would only work so long as no one accidentally touched her tummy.) And even if she could hide it from Naruto, she had no right to do so. It was his baby, too. She was a terrible person for even _thinking_ it.

Hinata knew Naruto well enough to know that he always did the right thing; he was honorable to a fault and put the well being of others before his own. It was one of the traits she loved most about him. If he knew she was pregnant, he would offer to marry her – even if he didn't want to.

_I never wanted to marry you in the first place… You got yourself pregnant… It was the right thing to do…_

She shuddered and reminded herself that it was just a dream. Not real – just a dream. But the dream had been so _vivid_! Could it be prophetic, too?

_If… When… _(she corrected herself) _… he proposes, I'll just say 'no'. We can be together and have this baby __**without**__ being married. That way, the baby and I won't hold him back from his dreams. Naruto doesn't have to be tied down to us – and… he can l-l-leave us at any time._

Hinata placed a protective hand over her flat abdomen. It would break her heart, if Naruto left. But that was much better than the alternative. It would _kill_ her, if Naruto hated her.

_All I have to do is say 'no'. _

She bit her lip – suddenly worried. She had dreamed of marrying Naruto ever since she was a little girl. _Could_ she say 'no' when the love of her life proposed? She firmed her resolve. She _had_ to. She would put Naruto's dreams before her own. Always.

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) (sniffles) I'm so terrible to poor Hinata! Poor girl! What a horrible nightmare! It was distressing to write.

(2) Okay... You know how I said that I was only going to write _one_ NaruHina chapter for _A Delicate Condition_? I lied. It's probably going to be two or three parts. I guess... I'm just really bad at predicting how much I'm going to write. AND. I'm really bad at writing short fics. (bangs head on desk) I _want _to write short fics. Really. Long fics are just so troublesome. But... but... I just can't!

(3) At first I was only going to bring in Naruto's genins as cameos and have existing Naruto characters fill the supporting roles in this fic. But none of the characters from the Konoha 12 or the Konohamaru Corps fit the role I had in mind. So I decided to have Naruto's genin fill the gap and fleshed out my OC genin a bit more. It's my first real attempt at creating original characters – which I usually detest in fanfics. (I really hate SI and god-mode OC's!) So I hope Ken, Koji, and Takeshi aren't like that.

(4) I'm kind of in a rush this morning. So I only proofed this once – which means I probably missed some typos. Sorry! I'll proof it again and fix typos when I get back this afternoon. EDIT 10/6/2008: Fixed typos. Many thanks to Pyrinsomniac for pointing out several that I'd missed!


	3. Chapter 2

Title: A Delicate Condition

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: A mistake at the hospital's pharmacy causes trouble for many kunoichi in Konoha – and Hinata finds herself in a delicate condition. Written for Thirty Kisses on Live Journal. NaruHina. Minor pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaIno.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Tea Country was a beautiful land with rolling rice fields, lazy rivers, and prosperous towns. Many people chose to settle there because the land was so fertile. Farms thrived with very little effort. And with it's two major exports, unique blends of tea and spices that were coveted around the world, Tea Country was one of the wealthiest countries per capita despite it's small size. Their ex-client, Meshin Bukai talked about his country with pride – often boasting that Tea Country was the _best_ place in the world to live.

Naruto silently disagreed. It had none of the things that he associated with _home_: no forests, no Hokage Monument, no Ichiraku ramen stand – and most of all, no Hinata. When he finally caught sight of the massive gates of the village just before noon, he had to forcibly restrain himself from making a mad (and undignified) dash towards _home_. However, several minutes later, Naruto also caught sight of his beautiful girlfriend – waiting patiently beside the guard desk – and promptly abandoned all attempts at preserving his dignity.

He covered the last one hundred yards in a flash – literally – and swept her up in a warm embrace. He ignored the knowing smirks of the two chunin who were on guard duty and the distant shouts of his kids ("Hey! Wait for us, Naruto-sensei!" and "Not fair! How come you won't teach us that technique?" and "You cheated!"). All that mattered was the girl in his arms. He buried his face in her silky hair and inhaled – not realizing until that very moment just how much he'd missed the scent of lavenders.

"I'm home, Hinata-chan," he murmured. He could feel her smile against the crook of his neck.

"Welcome back, Naruto-kun."

* * *

One hour later…

"Bye, Naruto-sensei! Thanks for lunch!"

Naruto stood outside the Ichiraku ramen stand and waved good-bye to his kids. Upon their return, they had immediately turned in their mission report at the Hokage tower. Then, as promised, he had taken his kids to Ichiraku's for lunch. Much to Naruto's pleasure, Hinata had not left his side since his return. She'd walked with them to the Hokage tower and joined them for lunch.

"You know… I think my cute little genin like you more than they like me," he said as he watched his kids run off. Naruto pretended to pout. "When it's just me and them, they're the most annoying little brats on earth. But when _you're_ with us, they're so well behaved!"

Hinata smiled and shook her head slightly. His genin _had_ been perfect little gentlemen all through lunch. But…

"I don't think so. They're just really comfortable around you, Naruto-kun. That's why they can be themselves."

"Maybe," Naruto said with a shrug.

Hand in hand, they walked along in comfortable silence. Naruto's genin had already regaled her with stories of their mission during lunch – so Naruto didn't think it necessary to add his own (less embellished) version of the events. He was simply content to walk with her; words were unnecessary.

The streets of Konoha were quiet and devoid of crowds at this time of day. Hinata could see a few villagers in the distance – but no one close enough to overhear them. Ken, Koji, and Takeshi were gone. She and Naruto were essentially alone.

_This is as good a time as any… I can do this! … I hope…_

She stopped – forcing Naruto to stop with her – and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"There's something I want to tell you, Naruto-kun," she said hesitantly. There was a slight, almost undetectable quiver in her voice, but at least she managed to _not_ stutter.

"What is it?"

"I… I…" she swallowed hard and cursed herself for faltering under his curious blue eyes. "I submitted an application to work as an assistant-teacher at the Academy."

She bit her lip so hard that she almost drew blood.

That wasn't what she meant to say!

"Really? Why?"

"Assistant teachers aren't required to take missions outside the village unless there's a shortage of active ninja. And… I… I can't take missions because…" She unconsciously placed a hand over her abdomen – but with no hint as to the cause, Naruto thought nothing of that fleeting gesture. "… because Father wants me to assist him in some of his duties as clan head – as part of my training."

_That_ wasn't what she meant to say, either!

_Why is this so __**hard**__?_

"So your father is finally going to start training you to lead your clan? That's awesome!" Naruto smiled. "And if you're not being sent out on missions, we'll get to spend more time together. That's even better!"

Since taking a genin team, Naruto often remained in the village. Genin teams usually spent their early years training, perfecting their teamwork, and performing D-rank missions, which always took place inside the village. Occasionally, they would receive a C-rank mission that took them away from Konoha. But more often than not, those C-rank missions didn't last very long.

"Come on. Let's go home, Hinata-chan." He tugged on her hand and started leading her in the direction of his apartment. "I'm beat."

"Wait, Naruto-kun! I have to tell you…" Hinata panicked. "I have to go!"

"Go?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "Go where?"

"I promised to train with Hanabi-chan today! She's preparing for her first jounin exam next month. I'm not sure how late we'll train, but I'll probably stay over at the Hyuuga estate tonight. I'll see you tomorrow. Okay?"

Naruto's happy contentment was instantly replaced with crushing disappointment. He'd been looking forward to spending some quality time with his girlfriend after several long weeks without her. He wanted Hinata all to himself! But… He knew how important her sister was to Hinata – and Hanabi _really_ wanted to pass on her first try.

_Hinata just wants to help her sister. I'm too selfish. I should be more understanding._

"Okay," he sighed and gently squeezed her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Naruto pulled her into a sweet kiss that made Hinata want to melt. (His kisses _always_ did that to her!) It was her turn to sigh with disappointment when he finally stepped back.

"Good-bye, Naruto-kun."

* * *

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and hit the training post with a massive burst of chakra from her palm. The chakra blew chunks of wood from the post – damaging it beyond repair. Hinata didn't care. She had _never_ been more angry with herself in her entire life.

She had _tried_ to tell Naruto about the baby. How hard could it be? Just two little words!

_I'm pregnant._

Two little words! That was all she had to say! She slammed her hands into another training post without mercy.

But…

Every time she opened her mouth to tell him, she had a panic attack the size of the Hokage Monument that made her heart jump right out of her mouth – and the words stuck in her throat. She had thought once that nothing could scare her as much as trying to confess her love to Naruto that very first time. She was wrong. This was _much_ more terrifying than that. In the end, she'd run away like a coward – and worst of all…

She'd _lied_ to Naruto.

A sudden bout of nausea and vertigo forced her to sit down before she fell.

She'd _lied_ to Naruto – and she _hated_ herself for it. The truth was… She'd submitted her application to teach at the Academy the moment she suspected that she might be pregnant – _not_ because her father wanted her to stop taking missions like she had implied. (Although he _was_ training her in the duties of the Hyuuga clan head.) And she _had_ promised to train with Hanabi – to help prepare her for the upcoming jounin exam – but her sister had only mentioned it in passing. They hadn't actually scheduled a specific time to train together, yet – least of all _today_. The truth was… She'd panicked at the last moment and grasped the first excuse she could find to run away.

_Coward! I'm a coward and a liar!_

She sniffed and blinked back tears. Naruto deserved better than someone like her.

_I'll… I'll tell him tomorrow._

For now, she needed to find Hanabi for the training that she'd promised. It was the only thing she could do to make herself less of a liar.

* * *

The next day…

Hinata sat the teacher's desk in an empty classroom grading papers. ("The first Hokage's name was Senjuu Hashirama: True or False." and "Name the six founding clans of Konoha." and "Which battle marked the end of the First Great Shinobi War?") She reached for the next sheet and grinned when she saw a doodle at the bottom of the pop quiz. It was a pink heart with the words "SA + KN" written inside. It appeared that one of the girls in her class had a crush. Hinata shook her head in amusement and continued grading.

She stifled a yawn and glanced at the clock above the door: 11:45 am. Although it was still early in the day, all she wanted to do was sleep. Sakura was right when she said that fatigue was an early symptom of pregnancy. Hinata tried to think optimistically. Being tired wasn't so bad. It could be worse. At least, she didn't have to deal with morning sickness, too! Perhaps if she finished grading the rest of the papers quickly, she could take a short nap in the teachers' lounge during her lunch break. She was so absorbed in her task that she didn't notice her boyfriend walk in, until…

"Hmm… I remember these. Poor kids. I hated pop quizzes!"

Hinata gasped in surprise and spun around in her seat to find Naruto right behind her, reading over her shoulder.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Hi, Hinata-chan!" Naruto leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "How's your first day at the Academy? Are the little brats giving you any trouble?"

"It's been good. I helped Iruka-sensei give a lecture on _kekkei genkai_ to the third year students this morning – and now I'm grading their pop quizzes in history." Just then, her vision blurred for a moment – and Hinata rubbed her eyes without thinking.

"Hey, you look kind of tired, Hinata-chan. Are you okay?" he asked in concern, belatedly noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

"I'm fine!" she said hastily. "I just didn't sleep well last night. I had a bad dream. That's all."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No!" Naruto looked startled by her vehement reaction. He opened his mouth to protest, but Hinata spoke quickly to distract him. "What are you doing here, Naruto-kun?"

"I missed you," he said honestly, as he gently cupped her face with one hand. Hinata leaned happily into his touch. "And since you were busy last night, I came by to take my favorite girl out to lunch. So… Want to go to Ichiraku with me?"

"Wait, Naruto-kun. I…"

"What is it, Hinata-chan?"

The classroom was empty. The door was closed. It was lunchtime, so they wouldn't be interrupted. It was a golden opportunity. A sudden rush of adrenaline washed away her fatigue. She swallowed nervously and tried to gather her courage.

_Naruto deserves to know! I have to tell him that I… I'm… I…_

"I can't." Hinata stared sightlessly at the ground. She was too ashamed to look him in the eyes. _Coward!_ "I should finish grading these papers. Maybe tomorrow?"

Naruto frowned. He hadn't thought too much about it last night, when she left him to train with her sister. But… Now she didn't want to go out to lunch with him, either? Even after he'd been gone for weeks? It almost felt like she was… blowing him off. He immediately squashed that disturbing thought. This was _Hinata_ – after all. She wouldn't do something like that. He sagged a little. She probably just wanted to make a good impression on her first day at the Academy. And…

_Maybe she just didn't miss me, as much as I missed her._

"Okay. I'll see you later then?"

"Yes," she nodded and watched helplessly as he walked away. _I have to try again!_ "Wait!"

Naruto paused with one hand on the doorknob and turned around expectantly.

"I'm…"

_I'm pregnant…_

"I'm… sorry, Naruto-kun," she said in defeat.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan. It's only lunch." His smile was so beautiful – that it almost took her breath away. "I'll see you at home tonight."

But he didn't.

Not that night – or any of the nights after that.

* * *

Fall was quickly approaching. The previously warm breezes of summer were turning into chilly currents of air that seemed to get underneath multiple layers of clothing effortlessly. In the evening, most villagers rushed through the streets walking briskly –eager to finish their business and return to their homes where it was warmer.

Naruto wasn't.

His steps slowed as he approached his apartment. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the cold. When he returned from his mission two weeks ago, he'd wanted to ask Hinata about their future together. For once, he didn't intend to rush head first into things without careful planning. He wasn't going to impulsively ask her to marry him right away because this was too important for him to mess up! First, he was going to ask her about her plans for the future. Then, he was going to find out if _he_ was in her plans. And then, _if_ he thought she would welcome the idea, he would ask her the big question. (If not, as long as he still had Hinata in his life, he was content to keep the status quo.)

But he never got the chance to talk to her.

He'd been back in Konoha for two solid weeks and had yet to spend two hours alone with his girlfriend. If she wasn't training with Hanabi or grading papers at the Academy, then she was busy with any number of other tasks – _without_ him. She was babysitting for Kurenai-sensei or helping her father with his paperwork or attending a Hyuuga clan function or making some medicinal ointment for her ex-teammates to take on their next mission… so if he didn't mind, maybe next time? And the worst part was…

Hinata stopped coming home.

She'd gone back to sleeping in her own rooms at the Hyuuga estate. She hadn't stopped by his apartment in two weeks – not once! Not even for a quick visit. He denied it for as long as he could, but after all this time, he was forced to face the ugly truth. Hinata was _avoiding_ him.

She didn't want to see him.

Naruto knew that he was dense and inexperienced when it came to relationships. But even _he_ knew that when your girlfriend of two years constantly gives you excuses even lamer than Kakashi's in order to avoid spending time with you… the relationship was falling apart.

He was _losing_ Hinata – and he didn't know _why_.

Had he said something? Or done something to drive her away? If he had, he didn't have any clue what it could be. If only he knew what it was that he'd done! Then he could apologize for it – and get her back.

_But that's just it! I **haven't** done anything different, except for…_

Naruto slipped his hand in his pocket and felt for the cold, hard case containing the engagement ring. He clenched his fist around it. The only thing that had changed was his desire to marry her. Was that it? Had she found out about the ring? Had one of his kids let it slip? Was _this_ her answer?

His heart _ached_ at that thought. He struggled to push the hurt feelings aside. They didn't _have_ to get married. If she didn't want to, he would accept it. He would throw the ring away in a heartbeat if it meant having Hinata back in his life.

Naruto stood frozen in front of the door to his apartment. He noted with a pang that it was dark inside; there were no welcoming lights coming from the window. It was empty… of course. Another piece of his heart died. He hadn't really expected anything different – but he'd _hoped_ so very badly. As a lonely child, in his first dirty one room apartment, his greatest dream had been for someone to love him, for someone to _be there_ just for him – someone that would welcome him home with a smile. (His dream to be the Hokage didn't come until later – _after_ he started at the Academy.) Hinata had given him that dream.

For one blissful year, he got to experience what everyone else took for granted. For one blissful year, he was _eager_ to go home after a long day – knowing that there was someone waiting just for him. For one blissful year, Hinata was there to greet him with a smile and a soft "Okaerinasai, Naruto-kun" when he opened the door. But now… That dream was over. She was slipping through his fingers like water – and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Uzumaki-san? Are you all right?"

Naruto whipped his head around in surprise to find the little old lady who lived in the apartment two doors down from his looking at him in concern. He took a deep breath and tried to pull himself together. He wasn't going to fall apart in front of his neighbor!

"Ah! Kaede-obaasan! Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks," he said roughly – somehow managing to force a brittle smile onto his face.

"You've been standing there quite a while now. Oh dear! Have you forgotten your keys? Would you like me to call the landlord for the spare key?"

"No. That won't be necessary. I have my keys right here. See?" He pulled his keys out to show her. Then he reluctantly unlocked his door. "I'm fine. Really. I'm just fine. Good night, Kaede-obaasan."

The old lady didn't look particularly convinced, but she nodded agreeably and shuffled slowly back to her own apartment.

"Good night, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto shut the door behind him with a soft click. He didn't bother turning on the lights. There was no point. He already knew what he _wouldn't_ see. He wouldn't see her sandals by the front door. He wouldn't see her jacket hanging beside his on the coat rack. He wouldn't see _her_.

"Tadaima," he whispered.

There was only silence.

* * *

"Hello, Hinata. Are those the student files from the Academy?" Shizune asked. She quirked an eyebrow in confusion when the girl started visibly and clutched the tall stack of files in her arms more protectively.

"Shizune-san! Ah… Y-Yes. These are the most recent test scores we have for the students. The summary page has already been sent forward to Tsunade-sama. These just need to be filed in the Records Room."

"Thank you _so_ much for bringing them over for me!"

"You're welcome," Hinata murmured. "I was… I was actually on my way here anyways. I need to submit a few documents of my own to the Hokage, too. So it was no trouble at all. I've in-included them at the bottom of this pile. Will you… m-make sure that Tsunade-sama g-gets them?"

"Of course," said Shizune with a reassuring smile.

Hinata hesitated, but then relinquished the stack of files into Shizune's waiting hands.

"Thank you." She gave Shizune a little bow and almost ran out of the Hokage Tower.

_I wonder what __**that**__ was all about._ Shizune mused. Hinata had seemed a bit off. _She hasn't stutered at me in __**years**__. How strange!_

However, a few minutes later, Hinata's strange behavior flew right out of her mind. Shizune was paged by the Konoha Hospital to perform emergency surgery on a chuunin team that had been caught in an ambush. She quickly handed the Academy files off to the nearest secretary and ran for the hospital. In her urgency to save lives, Shizune forgot all about Hinata's request.

Keiko looked down at the stack that Shizune had unceremoniously shoved at her and sighed. This wasn't the first time – nor (she was sure) would it be the last time – that she had to cover some of Shizune's administrative duties at the Hokage Tower while Shizune was busy at the hospital. Keiko blew at her brown bangs in annoyance. She liked Shizune, so she didn't mind helping – not really. She only wished she could get more advanced notice! Keiko carried the files down to the Records Room – never noticing that several forms at the bottom of the pile were _not_ student records.

* * *

Hinata stepped out of the Hokage Tower with a small spring in her step and smiled for the first time in days.

_I did it!_

She had taken the first step. She had just submitted her paperwork for a leave of absence from active duty to the Hokage. Soon, Tsunade would know her secret. If she didn't want Naruto to find out about the baby from someone else, then she _had_ to tell him _now_. In effect, she was _forcing_ herself to act. Instead of feeling pressured, she felt… relieved. She wouldn't allow herself to run away anymore!

_I __**have**__ to tell him this time. I __**have**__ to! Or else he'll find out from someone else…_

Hinata ran off to find her boyfriend.

* * *

The Makimono Bookshop was located on a side street just off the main business district in Konoha. It belonged to one Daichi Makimono – a gruff, older man in his late fifties.

In his youth, Daichi's love of books and literature took him to the capitol city of the Land of Fire where he found work as a librarian in the Great Library of Fire. After a while, he realized that his calligraphy was uncommonly superb. So he became a scribe at the Daimyo's palace and worked there for many, many years. Then about twenty years ago, Daichi discovered (quite accidentally) a series of forgeries in the Royal Archives – which led to the arrest and imprisonment of a number of corrupt politicians in the Daimyo's court. The Fire Lord generously rewarded Daichi for his services. The reward money combined with his life savings allowed Daichi to achieve his dream of owning his very own bookstore. He retired from his work as a scribe and moved to Konoha where he expected to live a quiet life among his books. He never expected to end up caring for a young child after his niece and her husband suddenly passed away. However, Daichi knew his responsibility. So he agreed to take the child. Within a few months, his "nephew" was no longer a responsibility; he was Daichi's pride and joy.

Now that the boy was older, Daichi would sometimes leave the shop in his nephew's capable hands while he played shogi with a few of his friends (and regular customers) at a nearby park. Today was one such occasion. Daichi left his nephew with his nose buried in a book of political essays – while he went to play shogi and _exchange stories_ with his friends. (Because old men don't _gossip_, they _exchange stories_.)

The bell over the door tinkled – signaling the arrival of more customers. The boy behind the counter didn't even look up from his book.

"Welcome to the Makimono Bookshop," he said automatically.

"Hey, Koji."

"Ken? Takeshi? What are you guys doing here?" Koji asked in surprise. His teammates were not the bookish type, so they rarely visited his uncle's store. Koji set his book down after saving his place with a bookmark.

"We came to ask you if…"

"No."

"What the hell!" Ken exclaimed. "You haven't even heard the question yet!"

Koji only scowled at him.

"I'm _not_ going to write up the mission report for our latest D-rank mission. I've done it 5 times in a row already. It's your turn. You do it!"

"Come on, Koji," Ken wheedled. "We're a team! So do it for the team! Your calligraphy is _way_ better than ours!"

"Chicken scratch is way better than yours! I'm amazed you can even write your name legibly!"

"Hey! I'm not that bad! I…"

"Cut it out, Ken." Takeshi said, interrupting the escalating argument. "This isn't what we're here for. Remember?"

Ken snapped his mouth shut. Koji waited curiously for Takeshi to continue.

"There's something really wrong with Naruto-sensei. Have you noticed?"

"Yeah, I have," Koji said thoughtfully. "He's been kind of depressed lately. He smiles, but it never looks _right_, you know? And he keeps spacing out during training. But what can we do about it?"

Neither of his teammates had an answer for him.

"Besides…" Koji added in a rare moment of maturity. "I don't think sensei would want us sticking our noses into his private life."

"The four of us are a team," Takeshi insisted. "If there's something wrong with Naruto-sensei, then we _have_ to help."

"We don't even know what the problem is!"

"Actually… We do," said Ken. He smirked when his teammates looked at him in surprise.

"We do?"

"We do?"

"Yep. It's Hinata-san," Ken said matter-of-factly as he tapped his nose. "Or well… to be more accurate… It's _not_ Hinata-san."

"Huh?"

"Everyone has a unique scent – and if you're physically close to someone else, your scents rub off on each other. The other scent is even stronger if you're… you know… _really close_ to each other." Ken blushed a bit and rushed through the rest of his explanation. "Whenever we were in Konoha _before_, I could _always_ smell Hinata-san's scent on Naruto-sensei. But since we've been back, there hasn't been any trace of it – which means he hasn't been with her in weeks."

The three of them were silent for a few minutes.

"Do you think that maybe… Naruto-sensei asked Hinata-san to marry him… and she said 'no'?" Koji asked hesitantly. "Maybe that's why he's so sad."

"Don't be ridiculous, Koji!" snapped Takeshi. "That goes against all logic. Why would she say 'no'?"

"That can't be it." Ken agreed with Takeshi. "Hinata-san's been in love with Naruto-sensei ever since they were kids. Kiba-niisan told me so."

"Well… Unless sensei asks us for help, there's not much we can do."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Takeshi shrugged. "When do you get off, Koji?"

"Uncle Daichi should be back in an hour or two."

"Okay. After you get off, let's go track Naruto-sensei down."

* * *

"_Rasengan_!"

Another boulder was reduced to rubble. Training ground 47 looked like a war zone.

Trees, rocks, training posts; nothing could escape destruction. The training posts were the first to go – burnt into charcoal lumps with an intense _Katon - Karyu Endan_ (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet). Every tree within sight was damaged in some way – mostly with _Futon_ (Wind) _jutsu_, but there were also spiral marks cut into several trunks. Not even the ground managed to escape damage. The once flat earth sported large craters at random intervals. Deep furrows crisscrossed the area. And every single rock larger than a basketball was being systematically turned into gravel.

Naruto stood in the middle of the training ground in a black tank top and pants – which now looked more grayish brown than black from the dirt and dust his jutsu kicked up. He surveyed his work impassively.

_Tsunade-baachan will probably dock my next few paychecks for repairs._

He didn't care. The money wasn't important to him. What was important was…

_Don't go there._ He told himself sternly. _Don't think about…_

Naruto charged up another _Rasengan _in one hand and blew another boulder to bits. He was trying to take his frustration out on the environment – and trying not to think. But it wasn't working! It didn't make him feel any better. It only served to make him more upset… more angry. And he was still thinking about...

_Hinata-chan. What did I do wrong?_

She blew him off with the lamest excuses – which meant that she didn't want to see him. She was cutting him out of her life. And the only reason for _that_ – the _only_ reason he could think of – was because _she was breaking up with him_. That revelation tore his heart to pieces. It also made him absolutely _furious_. As much as he wanted to hate her, for giving him his dream and then cruelly snatching it away, he just couldn't. He still loved her and wanted her back. He was furious with _himself_, for being such an idiot.

_I knew it was too good to be true. A princess and a demon container? It was never going to last._

Naruto _knew_ it – had _always_ known it. He was an idiot for falling in love with her when he _knew_ it would end like this – with her finally coming to her senses and leaving him. But he had ignored his common sense. He had foolishly blinded himself to reality – and now his heart hurt so much it felt like he was dying from the inside out. It was the price he paid for his utter stupidity. He had only himself to blame.

_Why was I so **stupid**?!_

"_Rasengan_!"

The last decent sized rock in the area was blown to bits. Training ground 47 was no more. But Naruto was _still_ angry and frustrated. He needed another training ground to demolish. Maybe training ground 45 was free. He made his way over to the edge of the tree line where he'd left his jounin vest and picked it up. He tensed when he sensed someone approaching and turned around.

It was Hinata.

Hinata eyed her boyfriend carefully. Naruto held himself stiffly. And… if the destruction around him was any indication, he was angry. Maybe she'd come at a bad time? Perhaps it would be better if she talked to him later… _much_ later. Hinata gave herself a mental shake. No. No more excuses. She wouldn't put it off anymore. She swallowed hard and licked her lips.

"Um… Hi, Naruto-kun." She smiled nervously.

"What do you want, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked impatiently.

Hinata winced a little at his obvious irritation.

"I was l-looking for you, Naruto-kun."

"Really? After two solid weeks of going out of your way to avoid me, you _finally_ want to see me?" Naruto bit out sarcastically. He struggled to keep his emotions under control, but she was standing _right there_ – just a few feet away – so _perfect_ and so… out of his reach.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun," Hinata said guiltily. She felt sick knowing that she had inadvertently hurt him. "Can we talk? There's something important I have to tell you."

So this was it. She was going to tell him it was over. It hurt more than he expected.

"Don't bother, Hinata-chan. I know what you're going to say."

"You… do?" Naruto knew she was pregnant? When did he find out? Her heart sank at his cold expression. "I'm s-sorry, Naruto-kun. I meant to tell you s-sooner, but I was afraid you would be m-mad."

"I'm not mad… or at least, I'm not mad at _you_," Naruto said bitterly. "Just tell me what I did wrong."

"Wrong?" Hinata asked bewildered.

"What did I do wrong?! I _thought_ you were happy with me! If you're going to dump me, at least tell me that much!"

Hinata reeled in shock. Naruto thought she wanted to _dump him_?!

"I'm not dumping you!"

"Aren't you? You've been avoiding me." Naruto saw the guilt in her face. "You obviously can't stand me anymore. If you're not breaking up with me, then what _are_ you doing?"

"I… I just…" she struggled to find the right words. "I've been _trying_ to tell you…"

"Forget it," he snapped. "I don't want to know!"

"But Naruto-kun! I…"

"I said _I don't want to know_!"

Hinata gasped and tried not to cry. Naruto turned around because it hurt too much to look at her. For a moment, neither spoke.

"I'll make it easy for you, Hinata-chan," he said quietly. "I won't seek you out anymore, so you can stop hiding in the Hyuuga estate – and you don't have to worry about finding new excuses to avoid me."

"You don't understand, Naruto-kun!" she said desperately. But it was already too late.

Naruto vanished with a _Shushin no Jutsu_. A sudden gust of wind blew through the spot where he had been standing. He was gone. He had used so much chakra in that one _jutsu_ that Hinata knew without looking that he was already _far_ out of the range of her Byakugan.

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

(1) I had no idea how emotionally _draining_ it is to write so much drama and angst! I'm _tired_. I really need to write some humor and fluff after this!

(2) And… because I'm so tired, I can't think of anything else to say. So enjoy and please review! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 3

Title: A Delicate Condition

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: A mistake at the hospital's pharmacy causes trouble for many kunoichi in Konoha – and Hinata finds herself in a delicate condition. Written for Thirty Kisses on Live Journal. NaruHina. Minor pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaIno.

* * *

_Last time..._

"_I'll make it easy for you, Hinata-chan," he said quietly. "I won't seek you out anymore, so you can stop hiding in the Hyuuga estate – and you don't have to worry about finding new excuses to avoid me."_

_"You don't understand, Naruto-kun!" she said desperately. But it was already too late._

_Naruto vanished with a _Shushin no Jutsu_. A sudden gust of wind blew through the spot where he had been standing. He was gone. He had used so much chakra in that one jutsu that Hinata knew without looking that he was already _far _out of the range of her Byakugan._

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!_

Naruto ran through the treetops at full speed – going so fast that everything was a blur around him. Why did he do that? Why did he practically _volunteer_ to leave Hinata alone? He should have begged her to take him back – promised her _anything_ if only she would change her mind. Instead he'd yelled at her and stormed away. And now... He'd lost his last chance.

_It's over now. It's really over._

Naruto finally stopped running because no matter how much fast he ran, he couldn't escape the facts. It was his fault. He'd gotten greedy. He should have left things well enough alone.

_But... No. I had to want **more**. Of course, Hinata doesn't want to marry me. Why would she? I should have known better._

He took the small black box out of his pocket and opened the lid. It was a beautiful ring – a blue sapphire and diamond three stone ring. The blue sapphire in the center was illuminated by two half moon shaped diamonds on either side of it; the precious stones were set in a white gold band. It sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. All of a sudden, he couldn't stand to look at it. In a fit of rage, he threw the ring – the symbol of all his hopes and dreams – as hard as he could into the forest. He didn't see where it landed – nor did he care. He smiled at the bitter irony. For months, he had worried about losing the ring accidentally. Except, as it turned out, that should have been the _least_ of his worries. He'd worried for nothing because...

_I won't be needing it after all._

_

* * *

_

**Several hours later...**

"Damn it! Why is Naruto-sensei so hard to find?" Koji burst out.

They had been searching for what felt like _hours_ with no luck. Their sensei wasn't in any of his usual haunts. He wasn't at Ichiraku's or the Hokage tower or their usual training ground. They'd even checked his apartment and hiked up to the top of the Hokage monument – because Naruto-sensei once told them that the top of the Forth Hokage's stone head was his favorite spot to think. The view of the village was spectacular from that location. They could see why their sensei liked it so much, but he wasn't there, either. He wasn't anywhere in the village! So now they were searching the forest just outside the village for any signs of their missing sensei.

"Naruto-sensei is a jonin and ex-ANBU. If he doesn't want to be found, it would take another jonin or ANBU to find him," said Ken impatiently.

"That was a rhetorical question, you know."

Ken glared at Koji, but didn't say anything else.

"Still... the fact that we can't find him just _proves_ that there's something wrong," Takeshi said with a hint of worry. "Let's keep looking a little longer."

Just then, Okimaru who had been happily trotting along side the three boys – sometimes running ahead to play but always running back a few minutes later – and let out a series of high pitched barks.

"Hey, guys! Okimaru says that Naruto-sensei came this way!" Ken sniffed the air around them experimentally – and sighed with disappointment. "I don't smell anything though. He must have passed by here hours ago if I can't pick up his scent anymore." As advanced as his olfactory sense was, it didn't compare to Okimaru's; the Inuzuka nin-dogs were _bred_ for fighting and tracking.

"Hours ago or not, this is the first real lead we've had all day." Takeshi knelt and spoke directly to the little brown puppy. "Okimaru, can you follow Naruto-sensei's scent?"

Okimaru woofed and wagged his tail excitedly. The little puppy was thrilled to be entrusted with this task. It was almost like a real tracking mission! Just wait until he told his cousin Akamaru all about it! Okimaru dashed further into the forest following an elusive trail that only he could smell. Ken, Koji, and Takeshi hurried after him. They followed the puppy for another half mile – weaving in and out of the trees – until Okimaru stopped abruptly. The little puppy circled the clearing several times before barking and nudging his head against Ken's legs almost apologetically.

"Sorry, guys. Okimaru's lost the trail. He says Naruto-sensei _was_ here, but he can't figure out where sensei went from here." Ken gently stroked the puppy's fur. "It's okay, Okimaru. You tried your best."

"Yeah. Don't worry about it, Okimaru," said Koji. "We'll see Naruto-sensei tomorrow anyways. We have team training and another sucky D-rank."

"This sucks," said Takeshi as he sat down on the ground. "Let's take a break before we head back."

Neither of his teammates objected. Ken swung himself up on a low hanging branch kicked his legs back and forth. Koji simply sprawled on his back and watched the clouds float by. Okimaru started to play again, so none of the boys thought it was odd when Okimaru ran in and out of the clearing. The puppy caught sight a gray hare and promptly gave chase. A few minutes later, Ken cocked his head to one side, listening intently.

"Okimaru's found something," he said jumping down. "He sounds pretty excited."

"What is it?" asked Koji. He strained his ears, but didn't hear anything. He sighed a little bit enviously. _Sometimes, I wish I had cool hearing and smell like Ken._

"I don't know. Okimaru says he's bringing it back."

"It's probably just a new stick," said Takeshi dismissively. "You know how he gets about new things to chew on."

Less than a minute later, the puppy burst through the clearing and dropped a small item at their feet. He yipped and sat up straight wagging his tail proudly; he seemed extremely pleased with himself. The black box was dirty, scuffed up, and covered with puppy drool, but they all recognized it immediately.

"Hey... Isn't that...?"

Takeshi picked it up and slowly opened it – just to make sure.

"Yeah... It is."

* * *

Iruka reviewed his lesson plans for the next day and penciled in a few minor adjustments. After so many years of teaching, he didn't really need to review his lesson plans _every_ night, but it had become a comfortable habit. Besides, he loved his job and was determined to to do his best for his students. When he finished, he stretched and got up to make a cup of tea. As he waited for the tea leaves to steep, he tidied up his desk – not that it was very messy. A few sheets of paper, a couple of spare pens, a plain table lamp, and a small framed photo were the only things on the desktop.

Iruka picked up the framed photo and smiled fondly. It was picture of himself and Naruto taken just before Naruto's sixteenth birthday. They had gone to Ichiraku's to celebrate Naruto's promotion to chunin. The picture showed the two of them grinning at the camera with two steaming bowls of ramen in front of them – and Naruto was proudly wearing his new chunin vest over his old orange and black jacket. As a teacher, Iruka knew that he wasn't supposed to have favorites; all his students were special to him. But Naruto... Naruto had an extra special place in Iruka's heart.

Naruto would always be his favorite.

A sudden knock at the door startled him and almost made him drop the picture.

_It's so late. I wonder who that could be?_ Iruka thought with worry. Late night visitors usually meant an emergency of some kind.

The person on the other side of the door was the last person he was expecting.

"Naruto? What are you doing here so late?" Iruka asked in surprise. He quickly examined his young friend and frowned in concern. Naruto was covered in a layer of dirt – as if he'd been training all day and hadn't bothered to clean up. And his eyes were dull – almost lifeless.

"Hi, Iruka-sensei," Naruto smiled, but it never reached his eyes. "Can I crash on your couch tonight?"

"Of course," Iruka said immediately. "Come inside."

"Thank you."

"I just made some tea. Would you like some?"

"Actually... Do you have anything stronger than tea? Sake, maybe?" Naruto laughed shakily. "I don't think tea is going to help."

Iruka didn't drink, but every year Takenaka-sensei, the director of the Academy, gave each of his colleagues a gift basket with seasonal fruit, gourmet snacks, and a bottle of sake for _oseibo_ – the end of the year gift-giving season. The fruit and snacks were always nice. But Iruka was never quite sure what to do with the bottles of sake. The bottles were pretty to look at, so he simply displayed them on an open shelf in the kitchen.

An hour later, Iruka was beginning to regret taking out the sake because Naruto was doing his level best to get completely shit-faced drunk. He drank the sake greedily like a man dying of thirst in the desert. He had finished three bottles of sake and was already halfway through the fourth. And Iruka _still_ didn't know what was wrong. Enough was enough.

Iruka gently, but firmly grabbed Naruto's wrist, preventing him from drinking any more of the sake.

"Naruto. Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Naruto refused to meet his eyes and remained stubbornly silent. Just when Iruka thought he wouldn't answer...

"It's over," he whispered.

"_What's_ over, Naruto?" Iruka asked puzzled. "If you tell me, I promise I'll help you with it."

"You can't help me with _this_."

"Naruto..."

"Can you change someone's heart? Can you make them fall in love again? _Can_ you?" Naruto demanded furiously. His blue eyes were overly bright in the dim light – and it took Iruka a moment to realize _why_ – when a single glistening tear fell.

Naruto jerked his wrist out of Iruka's grip, tipped his head back, and downed another cup of sake in just one swig.

"Hinata doesn't... doesn't love me anymore," he said in a shaky voice. For some reason, saying that out loud made it hurt even worse – and his hands started to shake, too. Naruto quickly set the cup down before he dropped it.

_Hinata doesn't love him anymore? That's impossible! _Iruka rocked back on his heels in shock. He'd known the girl since she was _seven_. And in all that time – over two thirds of her _life_ – she had been in love with the young man currently getting wasted in his living room. _This has to be some kind of misunderstanding!_

"I'm sure that's not true," Iruka said firmly. "Did Hinata _say_ that she doesn't love you anymore?"

"No, but she didn't have to," Naruto said bitterly. "I can tell. She's avoiding me like I'm diseased. She's _always_ too busy to spend time with me. And she keeps giving me these god-awful excuses – the kind of excuses _Kakashi_ comes up with – just so she doesn't have to _see_ me... and..."

"And... what, Naruto?"

"She doesn't come _home_ anymore." Naruto covered his face with his hands. "Do you know what the worst part is? I was ready marry her. I _still_ want to marry her... so much! It's not fair! She stopped loving me. So why can't I stop loving her, too?"

Iruka put a comforting arm around Naruto's shoulders.

"Naruto, you need to talk to Hinata. I've known you both since you were seven. This doesn't sound like her at all! I don't know what's going on, but I do know that Hinata loves you very much."

"How do you know that?" asked Naruto skeptically. He laughed sadly. "Maybe she finally woke up and realized she could do much better than someone like me."

"I highly doubt _that_," Iruka said confidently. "Hinata has _always_ watched you. I think she might have seen the best in you even before _I_ did. She loved you back when you were a failure. She's loved you for over fifteen years. Why would she stop now?"

_Fifteen years?_

Naruto was slightly buzzed, so it took him a moment to wrap his mind around Iruka's words. He blinked. Then he blinked again. He stared at Iruka in confusion.

_Fifteen years?_

"I must be really, really drunk," he said slowly. "Did you just say that Hinata's been in love with me for _fifteen years_?!"

"Yes." Iruka looked bemused. "Didn't Hinata ever tell you? She's had a crush on you since she was _seven_."

Naruto's mouth fell open in shock. His mind could not seem to process Iruka's last statement. Naruto would have had an easier time believing that up was really down, pigs really _could_ fly, and the Kyubi was just a harmless, misunderstood bunny rabbit. He was so shocked that he momentarily forgot how miserable he was. And then...

His heart fluttered back to life.

"N-No," he stammered, still in disbelief. "She... When she first asked me for a date, she only said that she'd liked me for a while. I thought... I thought she only started to notice me after I made ANBU captain."

"Somethings just don't change, I guess. You're still clueless, aren't you?" Iruka teased with a smile. "Hinata's liked you from day one. She had such a horrible crush on you that she could never speak to you without blushing... or fainting!"

"That was because she _liked_ me?! Even back then?! I thought she just got sick easily or something."

Naruto quickly examined his childhood memories from this new, _amazing_ perspective and every single memory he had of Hinata as that weird girl in his class suddenly took on a whole new meaning. His heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his throat. Was it possible? Could it be? He'd been so angry and upset earlier that he hadn't _listened_ to Hinata. What had she said when he accused her of dumping him?

"_I'm not dumping you!"_

"_I… I just… I've been _trying_ to tell you…"_

And then... He had been _so sure_ that she was going to break up with him that he hadn't given her a chance to explain. What if he was _wrong_? He wanted to hope. Yet, at the same time, he didn't dare.

"Do you really think Hinata still loves me?" he asked desperately – craving that extra bit of reassurance.

"I _know_ she does."

Iruka sounded so certain! His hope grew a little bit more. Naruto smiled brightly – his first true smile in weeks – and made himself a new promise.

_The next time I see Hinata, I'll _listen_ to what she has to say._

* * *

Hinata stumbled a little bit in exhaustion. She had searched the entire village for Naruto without success. She had looked everywhere she could think of for him, including all his favorite thinking spots. She desperately needed to find him because... Naruto believed she wanted to _dump him_.

"_You've been avoiding me. You obviously can't stand me anymore."_

It wasn't true! She couldn't let him continue to believe that! Ever since their confrontation, she had tried to view her actions from _his_ point of view – and what she saw made her physically ill. How could she have been so blind? She hurt him every single time she told him she was too busy for lunch, too busy for dinner, or too busy for _him_. And every single time, Naruto simply smiled. He never pushed her or challenged her terrible excuses because he assumed it was what she wanted – assumed it was _his_ fault.

"_What did I do wrong?"_

The pain in his eyes when he asked her that... If it wasn't so heartbreaking, she would have laughed. She wanted to cry.

_It's not his fault at all! It's _mine_. I'm the one that h-hurt him._

She never meant to... but she _did_. She _hurt_ him – the last person she ever wanted to hurt – and all because she was too much of a _coward_ to tell him about the baby. She would never forgive herself for this. She was desperate to tell him the truth – that she would never ever voluntarily leave him; she'd rather die first. The only problem with that plan was _finding_ him.

Hinata stood nervously in front of Naruto's apartment. She had already looked everywhere else – and it was already very late. Surely... Surely, Naruto would be home by now? She took a deep breath and knocked. She still had the keys to his apartment. But... after their confrontation this afternoon, Hinata didn't think she was welcome in his apartment – or in his life – anymore. So she knocked, instead.

No one answered the door.

_Please... Please, be home._

She bit her lip and knocked again.

"Your young man isn't home, Hyuuga-san."

Hinata jumped and spun around.

"K-Kaede-obaasan!"

"I'm sorry, child. I didn't mean to startle you," the old lady said kindly. "Uzumaki-san left a few hours ago with a full travel pack. I doubt he'll be back tonight."

"Oh." Hinata's face fell – and she hung her head. "I... I s-see. Th-Thank you f-f-for letting m-m-me know. I'm s-s-sorry for d-d-disturbing you, Kaede-obaasan."

Hinata covered her mouth in horror almost as soon as she started to speak. Over the years, she managed to conquer that "shameful manner of speech" (according to the Hyuuga elders). But now, it was back full force because she was tired and frustrated and upset and... and all she wanted was _Naruto_ – but Naruto wasn't home (and even if he _were_, he probably wouldn't want her anymore because she'd screwed up so badly and _hurt_ him). And... and she was _pregnant _and _stuttering_. It was too much.

Hinata burst into tears. Horrified, she immediately tried to stop crying and _couldn't_.

"I... I'm s-s-sorry. I'm s-s-so s-s-sorry," she sobbed, apologizing to the little old lady – and apologizing to Naruto who wasn't there.

"There, there," Kaede said comfortingly, grandmotherly instincts taking over. "Hush, child. Everything will be all right. Come. Let's get you a nice hot cup of tea – some chamomile with honey and lemon should do the trick, I think – and you can tell me all about it."

Kaede led the unresisting young woman to her own apartment, gently rubbing her back and making soothing humming sounds all the while. Hinata continued to weep inconsolably.

_Poor girl. I wonder what got her so upset? I hope Uzumaki-san returns soon, for her sake._

* * *

Tsunade was in a foul mood. The next person to even _look_ at her funny was going to find himself pulling weeds and babysitting snot-nosed brats for the next two months - and that was only _if _she didn't put him in the hospital first. For the first time ever, she was caught up on all her paperwork! Her desk was clear and her inbox was empty! It was a miracle! It was a momentous occasion that called for a celebratory bottle of sake and maybe a day off at _Megumi's Beauty Boutique_ – the best spa in all of Konoha. Unfortunately, her plans to leave the Hokage tower early (for once) were ruined when her loyal assistant Shizune handed her the roster of active duty ninja, followed by the master mission schedule that recorded all ongoing and pending missions.

Tsunade cursed. Then she cursed again for good measure.

She immediately saw why Shizune had been so concerned. With the sudden disappearance of so many skilled and competent kunoichi from the roster of active duty ninja, Konoha was going to find itself short on manpower (or womanpower) very, very soon. If she didn't work fast to juggle teams and re-work the schedule for maximum efficency, then Konoha would be forced to turn away mission requests in the near future. She simply couldn't allow that to happen. The village couldn't afford to decline mission requests. Not only would it hurt their economy, but it would also be seen as a sign of weakness to their enemies – which was just _asking_ to be attacked.

For several hours, Tsunade slaved over the mission schedule. She poured over dozens of personnel files so that she could select the ninja who were most qualified to go out on solo missions – and come back _alive_. (She wasn't going to risk the lives of her ninja if she could help it!) She assigned those ninja to the easiest A-rank and B-rank missions they had based on their skills. Solo missions weren't _that_ uncommon, but Tsunade hated sending her ninja out alone and without any form of backup. Then she had the headache of re-organizing some of the remaining ninja into three-man teams with complementary abilities (instead of the ideal four-man teams) to cover the deficit of kunoichi. Finally, the new schedule and new team assignments were finished. She would have Shizune make copies and hand out the new assignments tomorrow. Konoha could handle the mission load... for now. But if she lost too many more kunoichi to pregnancy...

Tsunade frowned grimly.

_We might have to ask our allies for help. _Under their current alliance with Suna, Konoha could "borrow" a few ninja teams from Suna under the pretense of furthering good will and relations between the two villages. _I know that the Kazekage would be more than happy to help, but I know a good percentage of the village council will object. Damn politicians!_

Tsunade stood and stretched. Several joints popped and cracked in the silence of her office.

_I'm getting too old for this shit. God! I could use a stiff drink right now!_

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune stood at the door with a thick folder in her hands.

"What is it, Shizune? That had better not be any more paperwork," she said grumpily, eyeing the folder suspiciously. "I'm taking tomorrow off – no matter what. Unless Konoha is under imminent attack and an army is at our front gate, I don't want to hear it."

"Don't worry, Tsunade-sama," Shizune smiled. "This isn't more paperwork. I finished my investigation. Here's the final report. I thought you might be interested in seeing the results right away."

"Oh? I'll review it in depth later. Please just give me an oral report for now. Did you find out why our contraceptives were failing?"

"That's just it. They're _not_ failing. I went through our entire manufacturing process with a fine tooth comb. Our pharmacists in drug production are very careful; they follow every single formula to the letter and keep detailed records of each batch of drugs that come out of our labs. Everything checked out."

"Well, _something_ went wrong." Tsunade drawled. "If the drugs are perfect coming out of the labs, then where did we go wrong?"

"Um... You're not going to like this." Shizune laughed nervously. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"Give me the good news. I could use some good news."

"The good news is that the error that occurred was _non-lethal_," Shizune stressed. "And only _one_ batch of oral contraceptives was affected. So at most, only 120 bottles of faulty Mongestin were circulated in the village. Of the 120 bottles, 33 were untouched because they were still in storage at the hospital's pharmacy. I've already removed those bottles."

"And the remaining 87 bottles?"

"Roughly half those bottles, 45, were prescribed to civilian women. So they won't impact the roster of active ninja." Shizune winced. "The other 42 bottles were prescribed to our kunoichi. You already know about the 20 kunoichi who are pregnant. I interviewed them like you asked – and they were all using the Monogestin from the bad batch. So that only left 22 kunoichi unaccounted for. I'm in the process of tracking down every kunoichi who received the faulty Monogestin and calling them in for a routine physical. I've already given 13 physicals. The really good news is that each one of them was in good health and _not_ pregnant. I replaced their contraceptives, so they'll be okay."

Tsunade couldn't help sighing in relief.

"So that only leaves 9 more kunoichi who may or may not be affected," Shizune concluded.

"I notice you didn't say exactly _what_ the error was."

"Ah... That would bring us to the bad news." Shizune gulped. "Just remember, Tsunade-sama. The error was _non-lethal_. So please don't kill the messenger! Or the instigator! I'm sure it was just an accident!"

"Shi-zu-ne," Tsunade growled. "Please, just enlighten me."

"I took samples of the Mongestin from the bad batch to our lab for testing, just like you asked. And... the funny thing is... _they were were all calcium supplements_." Shizune said that last part in a rush and braced herself for an explosion. She didn't have long to wait.

"Calcium supplements?!"

"Yes. Wada Calcium CD3 to be exact. The 120 bottles of faulty contraceptives? Well, they weren't really contraceptives at all! So I thought... if the calcium supplements are in the bottles of Mongestin, then what's in the bottles of Wada Calcium CD3? I sent several samples of that calcium supplement to our lab, too. And... as it turns out... The Monogestin was swapped with the Wada Calcium CD3. Someone at the hospital's pharamacy mixed up the labels on the bottles."

"Are you telling me that I might end up with _29_ pregnant kunoichi – over _seven_ full four-man teams of inactive ninja – because of some _idiot_ at the pharmacy?!"

"Yes!" Shizune squeaked. Tsunade's fury was always impressive – as long as you weren't on the receiving end of it, that is. If you were, it was impressive... and _terrifying_.

_Uh-oh. Tsunade-sama is on the warpath._

_Someone is going to die... horribly._

* * *

Hyuuga Sho carefully reviewed a real estate purchase agreement that he was making on behalf of his clan. As an elder on the Hyuuga clan council, he enjoyed some discretion over the clan's extensive finances. The only ones who could hold him accountable for his spending were the other members of the council – and the clan leader. His lips twisted in distaste as he thought of Hiashi. The man had been an acceptable clan head until he'd gotten soft. Imagine! Allowing his love for his daughters and nephew to impair his judgement! It was a disgrace. Hiashi should have branded his weaker daughter with the caged bird seal _years _ago. Hiashi even treated his nephew as true member of his immediate family despite the fact that Neji was from the _branch_ family. And while the young man was very skilled, Hyuuga Sho did not approve. Not at all.

He shook himself and refocused on his task. He was purchasing a small plot of land that bordered the Hyuuga estate. The land belonged to the village, but was unused. With just a little work – and a little bit of security (Perhaps a wall could be built around it?) – it would make a fine training ground for the warriors in the clan. Or perhaps they could build additional living space for branch members on that plot. Or perhaps a new amory? In any case, the clan was growing, so they should expand their lands to match that growth. The village council was more than willing to sell that unused plot to the Hyuuga clan. He reviewed it one more time. Everything was in order.

Hyuuga Sho signed the agreement with a flourish.

Tomorrow, he would take it over to the Records Room at the Hokage tower _himself_. He would personally see to it that the contract was filed promptly and correctly. After all, the last time he sent a servant to submit a contract to the Records Room, it took the peons who worked there _weeks_ to get it done properly.

He sniffed a little in irritation.

_It's shameful how incompetent the lower class is. It's a good thing we don't associate with the commoners. If we dilute our blood, we would end up just like them – with mongrels in the family._

To be continued...

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) It seems like everyone is on pins and needles waiting/hoping for Naruto and Hinata to get back together. What? You guys don't want more angst or more misunderstandings? (amused) Yeah, me neither. I mean... I suppose I _could_ drag it out a few more chapters... but I won't. I think I've tortured my favorite characters enough. Poor Naruto! Poor Hinata!

(2) In case you're thinking it's strange for Hinata to burst into tears in front of a near stranger... Please remember that she's _pregnant_. True story: When I was pregnant with my son, I burst into tears right in the middle of watching a _Muppet_ movie. I cried over _the Muppet Christmas Carol_! It was embarrassing! I wasn't just a little bit teary eyed, I was fully sobbing my eyes out – even though I'd already seen that movie many times before _without_ crying. I don't know what came over me. I didn't _dare_ watch that movie again for _years_. To this day, I still don't get it. (shrug) Being pregnant does _weird_ things to you!

(3) Next chapter sneak peek:

"There has to be _something_ we can do!"

"Why are you looking at _me_?" asked Takeshi in irritation.

"You're the strategist on this team," Koji pointed out. "So think of something already."

…

Ken smacked Takeshi over the back of his head... hard.

"_That_ was your plan?!"

(4) Please review. Thanks!

(5) EDIT 11/25/08: Replaced "Kami!" with "God!" According to someone who studied Japanese in college, "Kami!" isn't used in the same way as "God!" is in English. It's not used as an expression of frustration or exclamation, either.


	5. Chapter 4

Title: A Delicate Condition

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: A mistake at the hospital's pharmacy causes trouble for many kunoichi in Konoha – and Hinata finds herself in a delicate condition. Written for Thirty Kisses on Live Journal. NaruHina. Minor pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaIno.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Naruto took his role as a teacher very seriously. When he was assigned a genin team, Naruto vowed _not_ to follow his own sensei's example. Kakashi was an excellent ninja – one of the best that Konoha had ever seen – incredibly skilled _and_ incredibly loyal. In a fight or on a mission, there was no one else he would rather have at his back (except for perhaps Sakura and Sasuke). Naruto trusted Kakashi with his life, but the man was a _horrible_ teacher. Kakashi's laid back approach to teaching meant that his students were left to their own devices more often than not – and while that taught them to be independent, it didn't do much else. If Naruto had a yen for every time he _wished_ for a just little bit of guidance from Kakashi... Naruto would have been the _richest_ man in Konoha.

He was determined to be different. His kids would receive as much of his time and attention as they wanted. He would teach them all the things that he'd learned the hard way – things that he wished he'd learned from Kakashi, but didn't. And he _wouldn't_ baby them (even if he wanted to) because they were _ninja_ who wore the leaf _hitai-ate_, so he would respect that. He would be the _best_ sensei that he could possibly be.

Five days a week, at precisely 7:00 AM, Team Naruto would meet at training ground 11. Naruto worked with his kids for several hours each morning on tactics, ninjutsu, and taijutsu. Occasionally, they did survival exercises as a team. Naruto also provided individual instruction, as needed. Thanks to his _kage bushin,_ he could _simultaneously_ work with each of his kids one-on-one on their specific strengths and weaknesses. After lunch, Team Naruto would head back into town for a D-rank mission – much to the boys' disgust and Naruto's ill-disguised glee.

In direct contrast to Kakashi's chronic tardiness, Naruto was _always_ on time to team meetings. In fact, he was usually early. If he couldn't make it on time for whatever reason, Naruto would send a _kage bushin_ or one of his smaller frog summons with instructions for his genin.

Takeshi fidgeted impatiently as he waited for his sensei to show up. From the corner of his eye, he could see Koji with his nose in a book (again). In the middle of the field, Ken played fetch with Okimaru. At first glance, his friends looked fine, but they _weren't_. Koji wasn't reading; he hadn't turned a single page in over fifteen minutes. And Ken's game with Okimaru was played in utter silence. Ken waited listlessly for the puppy to return with a large stick, before throwing it again for Okimaru to fetch. It was a pale imitation of their usual games – which were boisterous and loud. They were worried.

Takeshi was worried, too.

Naruto-sensei had been depressed for weeks – ever since they'd returned from Tea Country. The last time he'd seen his sensei truly happy was on their first day back in Konoha. According to Ken, Naruto-sensei wasn't in close physical contact with his girlfriend anymore. And now, Takeshi had a _ring_ in his pocket! The engagement ring that was meant for sensei's girlfriend! The ring that Okimaru found discarded in the dirt like yesterday's trash! All the evidence pointed to one disturbing conclusion:

Naruto-sensei's girlfriend had _rejected_ him.

_But __**why**__? It doesn't make any sense! Hinata-san loves Naruto-sensei so much that she practically lights up whenever she sees him. Following that logic, she should __**want**__ to marry him. So why did she say 'no'?_

Thinking about it was confusing him – and making his head hurt.

7:00 came and went.

7:15 came and went.

Ken tired of his game and sat beside Koji under the tree. Okimaru sat with them.

7:30 came and...

"He's late," said Koji quietly, stowing his book in his pack. "Naruto-sensei's _never_ late."

"I know," said Ken. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What do we do now?"

"Should we go look for him?" Takeshi wondered aloud. He was about to say more when the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. They were being watched!

"That won't be necessary." A low dark voice steeped with killing intent echoed all around them. "You brats aren't going _anywhere_."

Team Naruto instantly slid into a standard defensive formation, guarding each other's backs. Okimaru growled at the unseen threat. Takeshi started to sweat under the pressure, but the grip on his kunai remained steady. He extended his senses the way that Naruto-sensei taught him, but... Where was the enemy?

"Kai!" Ken shouted and sent his chakra bursting outwards.

_Of course! Genjutsu!_ Takeshi could have kicked himself for missing something so obvious.

A man shimmered into view right in front of them – just a few feet away – and the oppressive killing intent vanished.

"Hn... not bad... for brats," he smirked. "Maybe training you won't be such a waste of time, after all."

Takeshi didn't let down his guard. Who was this guy? He looked familiar... black hair, black eyes, pale skin, aristocratic features... and a katana strapped to his back. It took second for Takeshi to recognize him. He slowly lowered his weapon.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Ken growled.

"_You_ will call me Uchiha_-sensei_. Until further notice, I am your substitute teacher."

* * *

"Naruto, wake up." Iruka put his hands on his hips and sighed a bit in exasperation when Naruto rolled over and continued to sleep. He reached down and shook his shoulder. "Naruto, it's time to get up."

"G'way." Naruto buried his face in his pillow. "...'m hav'n a good dream."

"A good dream?" Iruka's lips twitched in amusement. "Come on, Naruto. Get up and I'll treat you to lunch at Ichiraku."

One blue eye cracked open.

"Ichiraku?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Naruto yawned and sat up rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon."

"Oh, okay... _noon_?! Shit! I'm late!" Naruto jumped to his feet in nothing but his boxers and frantically dug around his pack for a clean change of clothes. "Iruka-sensei! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

(Naruto got dressed in record time, pulling on a dark orange tank top and black pants and then strapping a kunai holster to his right thigh.)

"You didn't fall asleep sleep until very late last night. Besides, you looked like you needed it."

"But... but... my kids!" he protested, snatching up his _hiate-ate_. "We had team training scheduled this morning!"

"Relax, Naruto. I took care of it."

"You did?" Naruto paused in the middle of shrugging on his jonin flak jacket.

"Yes. I got someone to cover for you. I also sent a message to the Academy to tell them that I'm taking a sick day."

"You don't _look_ sick," Naruto pointed out.

"That's because I'm not," Iruka said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You and I are playing hooky."

"Iruka-sensei! I can't believe you!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at his old teacher. He tried to look scandalized, but the wide grin on his face gave him away. "Playing hooky? What would your students think?"

"They don't have to know." Iruka leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. "It can be our little secret."

Naruto laughed.

"Okay. Thanks, Iruka-sensei... for everything."

* * *

"_Bastard_," Ken hissed glaring at their temporary sensei.

"Shh! He'll hear you." Koji whispered glancing furtively in his direction. "Do you _want_ to get in trouble with Uchiha-sensei?"

"He's _not_ our sensei," Ken retorted hotly. "I refuse to call him that."

The last Uchiha was undoubtedly one of the strongest ninja in Konoha, but Ken would rather sleep with _cats_ than work under that... that_ man_. He was too young to remember, but he'd heard the stories. How the last Uchiha had turned traitor and turned his back on his friends and the village. How he'd joined up with the legendary missing sannin, Orochimaru for power. Then he'd _repented_ – and the village as a whole had welcomed him back! To the Inuzuka, whose clan motto was "wild heart, loyal soul," there was nothing worse than a traitor.

Ken might have accepted the Uchiha (eventually) if that had been all. He was too young for Sasuke's past sins to have affected him personally – except for one thing. Uchiha Sasuke had tried to kill Naruto-sensei in cold blood – and had nearly succeeded. That man had rammed a _Chidori_ through Naruto-sensei's chest! (Ken had heard the story from some of the Inuzuka nin dogs, who'd heard it from one of Hatake's dog summons.) Just thinking about it made his blood boil.

_I know they're friends again – and I know Naruto-sensei forgave him a long time ago. But I don't trust him! Not one bit!_

"Let's just get this over with." Koji yanked at another stubborn weed and tossed it aside.

It was early afternoon. Team Naruto was performing yet another tedious D-rank mission in the village while Uchiha-sensei supervised from across the yard. Koji couldn't wait to finish their mission. Then they could _go_. He didn't like working with Uchiha-sensei anymore than Ken did. The man put him on edge with the way that held himself aloof from _everyone_ – and the way he never smiled. (Koji had tried to break the ice that morning by cracking a small joke and had received an icy glare and twenty laps around the training field for his efforts.)

"I hope Naruto-sensei gets better soon," Koji muttered. "Heck, I'd even take Lee-sensei over Uchiha-sensei any day of the week. At least Lee-sensei knows how to take a joke."

"I don't think Naruto-sensei's sick," Takeshi said softly. He added another weed to his ever growing pile.

"What makes you think that?"

"Naruto-sensei's _never_ sick." Takeshi shrugged. "Remember? He said something about it once."

"Yeah..." Ken frowned in concentration. "Something about a rapid healing ability... If he's injured in a fight or poisoned, he recovers faster than most people – and normal colds and viruses don't affect him."

"I think he's just taking some personal time off," Takeshi said grimly.

"Because of... Hinata-san?" asked Koji uncertainly.

"Yeah."

"Oh."

The boys worked in silence weeding, pruning, and fertilizing all the plants in the garden. They collected all the debris and put it in a large bin for composting. Then they waited while Sasuke ran an appraising eye over their work.

"The mission was completed successfully. You are dismissed."

They almost – but not quite – ran for their freedom. None of them wanted to give Uchiha-sensei a chance to change his mind! Several times, Ken checked over his shoulder using all his enhanced senses to make sure they weren't being followed. His gut instinct told him that they were still being watched. He strained his ears and sent just a touch of chakra to his nose, but he didn't detect anything out of the ordinary. Finally, Ken chalked it up to paranoia and relaxed.

Coincidentally, the boys found themselves in front of the Academy. Because they had finished their D-rank mission in good time, it was still early and classes were still in session. Most of the students were indoors, but one class of third year students were having target practice with kunai and shuriken outside. Ken, Koji, and Takeshi paused to watch and ended up lounging on the grass the way they used to back when _they_ were students at the Academy.

"What a jerk!" Koji exclaimed. "I don't understand why Naruto-sensei is friends with Uchiha-sensei!"

"I can't stand that guy!" Ken snarled, as he clenched and unclenched his fists, wanting to hit something. "I want Naruto-sensei back!"

"Me, too."

"If only she'd said 'yes'," Takeshi mused aloud.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. If she'd said 'yes', then Naruto-sensei would've been great! He'd be his normal happy self. Except she _didn't_ – and now we're _stuck_ with Uchiha-sensei."

"That's it!" said Koji snapping his fingers. He smiled widely at his friends. "All we have to do is get them back together! Then everything will go back to normal!"

"And how are we supposed to do _that_?" Takeshi asked skeptically.

"Um... I have no idea," Koji admitted sheepishly.

"Figures." Takeshi rolled his eyes in mild exasperation.

"I think we should try," said Ken thoughtfully. "Things are already pretty bad between Naruto-sensei and his girlfriend, so we couldn't possibly make things _worse_ – and what if we _can_ help fix things between them? It couldn't hurt for us to try."

"That's right!" Koji agreed enthusiastically. "There has to be _something_ we can do!"

"What we need is a good plan," Ken said firmly.

As one, Ken and Koji both turned to Takeshi and waited expectantly. Takeshi groaned and covered his face with his hands.

"Why are you looking at _me_?"

"You're the strategist on this team," Koji pointed out. "So think of something already."

"And make it good," added Ken. "Naruto-sensei's future happiness is at stake."

"No pressure, of course," said Koji cheerfully.

"Ganbatte, Takeshi! You can do it!"

"Morons," Takeshi muttered darkly. "Shut up and let me think."

* * *

Shizune sighed wearily.

As the Hokage's personal assistant, she was constantly swamped with work. In addition to managing Tsunade's schedule, keeping track of mission reports, and working shifts at the hospital, Shizune also represented the Hokage in other matters. Occasionally, she sat in on council meetings instead of the Hokage and arbitrated minor disputes. This recent fiasco with the mixed up drugs only added to her mountain of work. Right now, her biggest priority was tracking down all the kunoichi who received the false contraceptives. Her other tasks could wait because their health took precedence. Shizune scanned the long list of names in front of her. Thankfully, most of the names had already been crossed out; only nine names left.

The next name on her list was _Hyuuga Hinata_.

Shizune made a mental note to schedule a physical with Hinata as soon as possible – then she frowned in concentration. Something about seeing Hinata's name nagged at her. Shizune had the strangest feeling that she was missing something – or forgetting something important – but what?

"Good morning, Shizune-san!"

"Good morning, Keiko," Shizune smiled at the young secretary.

"These are purchase orders for extra supplies and field kits for the teams that are going out on long term border patrols." Keiko handed the forms to Shizune. "I double checked them and everything is in order. The Hokage just needs to sign them. Could you make sure that Tsunade-sama gets them?"

"Of course," she said distractedly – struck by an odd feeling of deja vu.

_Will you… m-make sure that Tsunade-sama g-gets them?_

Shizune groaned and slapped her forehead with her free hand, as Hinata's soft voice suddenly came back to her.

"I can't believe I forgot!" she exclaimed in dismay. "Keiko, do you you remember the student records I gave you the other day? The ones from the Academy?"

"Yes. What about them?"

"Where are they now?"

"I took them down to the Records Room."

"Did you see any other documents included among them?" Shizune asked hopefully. "There were some forms for the Hokage at the bottom."

"I'm sorry, Shizune-san," Keiko said apologetically. "I didn't think to look."

"It's not your fault. I forgot to tell you about them." Shizune said ruefully. "I'd better go get them now. Before I forget again!"

* * *

Hyuuga Sho resisted the urge to tap his foot impatiently. He had more self control than that. Instead, he allowed himself to glare more imposingly at the peons scuttling behind the desk. He already submitted the real estate contract – along with a note from the bank stating that the necessary funds from the Hyuuga account had already been transferred to the village's general fund. All he needed now was the official deed to the land for his clan's records and he could go. However, as with all bureaucracies, there was some delay.

How dare they make him wait!

The Hyuuga elder absently noticed the Hokage's dark-haired assistant rush into the Records Room and hastily ask the peon something about student records. He ignored her as she flipped through a pile of folders on the far side of the room. She was obviously looking for something specific. It was no concern of his – or so he thought.

"Thank goodness!"

"Did you find what you were looking for, Shizune-san?" asked the peon.

"Yes, I did." Shizune sighed with relief. "I promised Hinata that I would give these forms to the Hokage for her. I'm glad they were still here."

_Hinata? Is she speaking of the heiress?_

Sho narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Unlike his fighting ability which had deteriorated over the years due to old age, his instincts for information gathering remained as sharp as ever. Why would the Hyuuga heiress submit extra forms to the Hokage? Something strange was going on. Like a shark that sensed blood in the water, Sho went after his prey with single minded intensity.

"Hinata? As in _Hyuuga_ Hinata?"

Shizune tensed at the imperious tone – and eyed the only other person in the room warily. It was a Hyuuga; the silver white eyes were a dead giveaway. She vaguely recognized him as one of the elders who represented the Hyuuga clan on the village council whenever Hiashi was unable to attend. What little she could remember of him was unflattering.

"Hyuuga-san." Shizune gave him a small nod. "What brings you to the Hokage tower?"

"I'm here on clan business." Sho waved his hand dismissively. "Did you say that those documents are from _Hyuuga_ Hinata?"

"Yes."

"In that case, it appears that I have even _more_ clan business here than I thought." Sho held out his hand expectantly. "You will give those to me."

"I'm sorry, Hyuuga-san," said Shizune frostily. She quickly slipped the loose papers into a folder and snapped it shut, protecting the contents from prying eyes. "These documents are confidential."

"You have no right to interfere with clan business!"

"And you have no right to interfere with official ninja business! These files are for the Hokage only. Good day, Hyuuga-san." Shizune brushed past the angry Hyuuga and walked away, ignoring the eyes she could feel boring into her back.

Hyuuga Sho watched her go in silence, but an furious twitch formed over his left eye. How dare that... that... _upstart_ deny him his rights as a Hyuuga? More determined than ever, he waited until Shizune was out of _normal_ sight. And then...

"_Byakugan!_"

Instantly, the veins around his eyes bulged from a surplus of blood and chakra – and his enhanced vision zeroed in on his target. With a touch more concentration, he started to read. The distance and the flimsy folder were mere annoyances that he easily brushed aside due to the unique power of his _kekkei genkai_. A few minutes later, he released the Byakugan.

Hyuuga Sho trembled with fury. It was bad enough that... that... _disgrace of a Hyuuga_ embarrassed the clan with her constant failures. But to conceive a bastard child like some common whore? That was _unforgivable_. He would have to work quickly to ensure that the clan's reputation was not damaged by her disgusting actions.

_Hinata has shamed us for the very last time. I will see to it that she is sealed and banished from the clan! As for the mongrel she carries, it cannot be allowed to inherit the Byakugan. It would be best to ... _

_... eliminate it._

* * *

Hinata's day had _crawled_ by. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, and each hour felt like an eternity. All she wanted – all she'd _ever_ wanted – was Naruto. She needed to find him _yesterday_ – but she didn't know where else to look. The only reason she came to the Academy this morning – instead of searching for Naruto again – was because she had wanted to talk to Iruka-sensei. He and Naruto had always been close. Iruka might know where to find Naruto! Except Iruka wasn't at the Academy; he was home sick. Then before she could request the day off, two other assistant-teachers and the taijutsu instructor _also_ called in sick. Suddenly, the Academy was understaffed and she couldn't leave.

Hinata burst into action the moment her last student left the classroom. She quickly wiped off the blackboard, jotted down some quick notes in the margins of the syllabus ("completed overview of chakra circulatory system, started basic first aid techniques, assigned reading: pgs 378-412 of Shinobi Nations"), and closed the windows which had been opened to let in some fresh air. Then she took a final glance around the empty classroom; it was ready for the next class. She was done for the day.

_Finally! I can go. I'll look for him at the Hokage monument again. Then I'll try Ichiraku and check his favorite training ground. If I still can't find him... I'll wait outside his apartment. He **has** to go home... eventually._

She picked up her jacket and turned to go, only to come face-to-face with...

"Koji? Ken? Takeshi? What are you doing here?" Hinata blinked in surprise. A sudden fear gripped her heart and _squeezed_. "Did something happen to Naruto?"

"You could say that," Takeshi shrugged. "Naruto-sensei didn't show up for training today. We got a substitute teacher instead."

"That man is _not_ our teacher," Ken muttered.

"Shut up, Ken!" hissed Koji. "We agreed to let Takeshi do the talking."

"Look, Hinata-san," Takeshi said, ignoring his friends. "It's really none of our business. But things that affect Naruto-sensei affect us, too, because we're a team. You know? So we're _making_ it our business. We think you should change your mind about Naruto-sensei."

Ken smacked Takeshi over the back of his head... hard.

"Ow! What did you hit me for?!"

"That's _it_?! _That_ was your plan?! You're telling her to _change her mind_?!"

"I thought you said it was a _good_ plan," accused Koji.

"It _is_ a good plan! Now shut up and let me talk!"

Hinata looked back and forth between the boys in confusion. What in the world were they talking about? Change her mind about _what_? _What_ plan?

Takeshi turned back to Hinata and looked her in the eyes.

"Hinata-san, you _need_ to change your mind about Naruto-sensei. I don't understand why you said 'no.' So I'm going to tell you about all the reasons why you should be saying 'yes' instead. Naruto-sensei... He's a great guy. He's a jonin, so you know he makes decent money. He's strong, he's funny, and he's loyal. He doesn't drink or gamble or smoke. And he's totally awesome with little kids. In other words, he's perfect husband material. But most of all, he _loves_ you... and _that's_ why you should say 'yes.'"

Hinata wanted to laugh... or cry. She couldn't seem to decide which. Naruto's genin were trying to convince her to _marry_ Naruto. Didn't they know? _She_ wasn't the one who needed convincing. She knew all of Naruto's wonderful qualities inside and out. She'd dreamed of marrying Naruto since she was a child. The one they needed to convince was _Naruto_. She wished them luck, _with all her heart_.

_If only he did... If only Naruto **wanted** to marry me..._

"Have you talked to your sensei?" Hinata asked gently. "It's sweet that you're so concerned about his life, but marriage is a very big step. Maybe he doesn't want to get married. You should ask him if that's something he wants first."

Takeshi tilted his head to one side and a strange expression crossed his face. Behind him, Ken and Koji were equally baffled. What an _odd_ thing for her to say!

"Are you kidding? Of _course_, he wants to get married," Takeshi said confidently.

"What makes you say that?" Hinata wondered.

"This." Takeshi tossed a small blunt object in her direction.

Superior reflexes automatically kicked in and Hinata easily caught the object in mid-air with one hand. She examined the item curiously. It was a nondescript box that was so small it easily fit into the palm of her hand. The outside of the box was scuffed up and dirty as if it had been tossed around and then recovered from a ditch. She opened it to find... a ring? (Granted, it was a beautiful ring...)

"What's this?"

"You know what that is." Takeshi frowned. Why was she acting like she didn't know? "That's the engagement ring Naruto-sensei bought for you."

Hinata froze, absolutely certain that her ears were playing tricks on her – or that she was dreaming – and she forgot to breathe. An engagement ring? For _her_? From _Naruto_?

"Naruto-sensei thinks that we don't know this... but he commissioned it in Wave Country on our first C-ranked mission outside of the village."

"He bought this ring in Wave Country?" she asked faintly. Her heart was pounding too fast and she was lightheaded. She felt like she would pass out at any second. _Wave Country? But... that means that he bought it... months ago!_

"Yeah. About six or seven months ago, I guess," said Takeshi nonchalantly. "He said he was only catching up with an old friend, but Ken overheard them talking. Naruto-sensei finally showed it to us a couple of weeks ago, on the way back from Tea Country."

Not only did Naruto want to marry her, but he wanted to marry her more than _six months_ ago! _Before_ she'd gotten pregnant. Hinata trembled as the implications started to sink in.

_If we get married now... It won't be because of the baby! Naruto __**wants**__ to marry me!_ Her joy was suddenly eclipsed by despair. _But... I h-h-hurt him so much. What if he doesn't want me anymore? I have to find him!_

"Thank you for telling me this. I have to go!"

Hinata ran from the classroom, leaving the boys in her wake.

_Please don't let it be too late..._

* * *

Naruto hesitated just outside main entrance to the Academy.

_What am I doing? I shouldn't be here._

He had enjoyed spending the day with Iruka. They had lunch at Ichiraku and then wandered around the village. They even played several games of shougi – with Iruka trying to teach Naruto the finer points of the game. He was grateful to Iruka for trying to distract him, but Hinata was never far from his thoughts.

Iruka said that he needed to talk to Hinata. It had sounded like a good idea last night, when he'd been half drunk and desperate to believe that he still had a chance with her. However, now that he was sober and calmer, he wasn't so sure. What if Iruka was wrong? What if she really _didn't_ want to see him? He'd practically promised not to bother her anymore. Wasn't he going back on his word by being here?

But his feet remained rooted to the ground. He couldn't bring himself to leave without at least seeing her first.

_I just want to make sure she's okay. I'll just look. I won't bother her. It's not going back on my word if __she doesn't even see me. Right? _That excuse sounded lame even to his own ears. His shoulders sagged. _I'm so pathetic. I'm stalking my girlfriend and trying to justify it. No wonder she left me._

_I should go... before she sees me._

Just then the doors flew open. Naruto reacted just in time to avoid getting smacked in the face.

"Hey! Watch where you're..." Naruto almost choked on his words when he saw who it was.

"N-Naruto-kun!"

Hinata looked absolutely shocked to see him. (He wondered briefly where she had been going in such hurry.) She was slightly winded from running so fast. Her beautiful lavender eyes were wide with surprise – and she was panting lightly, small puffs of air passing her soft lips. He jerked his gaze away from her incredibly _kissable_ lips before he could give in to temptation and swallowed hard.

"Oh... Hey, Hinata-chan..." Naruto pasted a smile on his face. "I was just passing by because... you know... It's a nice day and I was... taking a walk." (He cringed at the awful excuse.) "How are you? Um... You're obviously in a hurry, so I won't keep you. Yesterday, I said I wouldn't bother you anymore. Right? So I won't! You don't have to worry about that..."

Naruto wanted to kick himself. He was babbling like an idiot. (It was a nervous habit that he couldn't seem to break.) Why wasn't she saying anything? She was just staring at him, like she couldn't believe he was dumb enough to stick around where he wasn't wanted. He bit his lip and looked away.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm just here because... I wanted to see you. I'm sorry. For yelling at you yesterday. That's all. If you don't want to see me... that's okay. I understand. I'll go. I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. Whatever it was that I did wrong... I'm sor-"

"Don't. Don't say that."

After trying so hard to track him down the day before... After failing to find him no matter where she looked... The last thing she expected was to run into Naruto right outside the Academy. She couldn't believe that he was _right there_! What could she say that would convince him to give her a second chance? She grew more and more heartbroken, the more she listened to him speak. He didn't understand at all! She _didn't_ want him to go! Why was he apologizing? It wasn't his fault!

"Don't. Don't say that," she said fiercely. "You don't understand at all!"

"H-Hinata-chan?"

"Don't be sorry."

In just three steps, she closed the distance between them – until she was mere _centimeters_ from touching him.

"Don't go."

She clutched the front of his flak jacket so tightly that her knuckles went white. She was terrified that he would disappear the moment she let go – so she was _never_ going to let go.

"You didn't do _anything_ wrong."

She buried her face in his shoulder and sighed. Her warm breath fanned against the side of his neck and Naruto's mind went blank. He shivered, hypersensitive to her body pressed against his.

"I love you."

She stated it clearly. She didn't want him to _ever_ doubt that she loved him.

"You do?"

"I do. I love you. I will _always_ love you. I love you so much!"

_Thank God._ Naruto was dizzy with relief – and his heart was singing, dancing, and doing _cartwheels_ inside his chest. If he was dreaming, he never wanted to wake up. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him and burying his face in her hair. _Hinata still loves me!_

"I love you, too."

"I'm the one who should be sorry! Not you!" Her breathing hitched and her shoulders started to shake. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun! I was so h-horrible to you! I'm so, so sorry!"

Naruto pulled back in alarm when he felt hot tears soaking through his shirt.

"Shh... It's okay, Hinata-chan. Please, don't cry," he begged. "It's okay."

And it _was_.

_Everything_ was okay now because he had her back in his arms – and in his life.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we go home now?" she asked shyly. "I want to go home."

Naruto laughed. It was the happiest moment of his life.

* * *

Three pairs of eyes watched from their hiding place around the corner. They were too far away to hear what was being said, but Naruto-sensei was hugging his girlfriend. That _had_ to be a good sign. Right? A few minutes later, their ears picked up the sound of happy laughter.

Naruto-sensei was _laughing_ – and then he was _kissing_ her.

Takeshi grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"I _told_ you it was a good plan."

To be continued...

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) Naruto and Hinata are back together! I'm so relieved. Aren't you? The angst is _over_. The next chapter is going to have plenty of sugary sweet NaruHina fluff – along with _hints_ of citrus. I'm going to have so much fun writing it! I can't wait!

(2) (I meant to say this in the last chapter, but forgot. Sorry!) In Japan, there is an end-of-the-year gift giving custom called _Oseibo_. More about _Oseibo_ here: http : // gojapan . about . com / cs / traditioncustom / a / oseibo . htm

(3) "_Ganbatte!_" is a Japanese phrase used for encouragement. It's best interpreted as: "Come on!" or "Go for it!" or "Do your best!"

(4) Please review! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 5

Title: A Delicate Condition

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: A mistake at the hospital's pharmacy causes trouble for many kunoichi in Konoha – and Hinata finds herself in a delicate condition. Written for Thirty Kisses on Live Journal. NaruHina. Minor pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaIno.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

When Hinata and Naruto first started dating, his apartment was typical of a bachelor's place. Although it was clean and neat (mostly because Naruto spent very little time in it), it was very spartan and impersonal. The walls were bare, the furniture was plain and functional, and the neutral colors made the apartment appear drab and cold. Except for a handful of framed photographs on the mantle and a single potted plant in one corner, the apartment reflected none of Naruto's vibrant personality.

As their relationship grew – and as Hinata naturally started spending more and more time with Naruto – the apartment slowly evolved. A soft lavender throw (large enough for two) folded over the back of the dull brown couch added a touch of color – and it was perfect for cuddling under after a long day. A set of three botanical prints broke the monotony of the off-white walls. And a pretty crystal vase that she kept filled with fresh cut lilacs graced the coffee table. Hinata even managed to tastefully add Naruto's favorite color to the décor. A pair of orange table lamps provided better light for reading. And russet orange silk curtains dressed up the windows, complementing the original bamboo roll-up blinds. The end result was anything but dull and impersonal. It was warm and cozy – and it was _theirs_.

Hinata stood in the center of the living room and basked in contentment. Other than the wilted flowers on the coffee table – she made a mental note to replace them with a fresh bouquet as soon as possible – the apartment was just as she remembered it. Hinata smiled and sighed happily. It was _so good_ to be home! In her eyes, the Hyuuga estate, for all it's elegance and luxury, could never hold a candle to this modest little apartment. She turned around to find Naruto silently watching her from the doorway. His expression was uncharacteristically somber. Her heart beat faster under his intense scrutiny.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"You're happy," he said sounding surprised - and a bit vulnerable. "I didn't expect to ever see you here..." he gestured vaguely around them "… again, unless it was for you to come to get all your stuff before leaving. But... you... you're genuinely _happy_... to be _here_... with _me_."

"Oh, Naruto-kun..." Hinata bit her lip and swallowed the lump in her throat, suddenly distressed by the reminder of how much she'd _hurt_ him. "I'm s-sorry. I never meant to-"

"It's okay." Naruto smiled brightly at her. "You're here now – and you're happy. That's all that matters."

Naruto joined her in the middle of the room. He lifted his hand and gently caressed the side of her face with his knuckles. Hinata immediately leaned into his touch and made a small sound of pleasure.

"I'm always happy when I'm with you," she said seriously.

"That's good to know," he murmured – and when he leaned down to kiss her, she met him halfway.

It was wanton. It was passion and desire. It was hunger and _need_. The feel of his lips on hers... the feel of his hands on her body – one tangled in her hair and the other at the small of her back pressing her close to him... the way that he kissed her, as if he needed her more than air... It made her hands tremble. It made her heart pound. It made her head spin.

It made her _burn_.

"I missed you," she gasped.

"I missed you, too. I really, really missed you."

When Naruto tugged on her hand and gently guided her towards their bedroom, Hinata eagerly followed.

* * *

Several hours later...

Naruto propped himself up on one elbow and watched his lover sleep. Hinata lay on her side, facing him with one arm tucked under her head and the other draped over his waist – as if, even in sleep, she wanted to hold him close. Her dark silky hair splayed over the pillow. The sheets had been pulled up over her breasts, but her shoulders were uncovered, exposing perfectly smooth skin... and a series of small discolorations in the curve between her shoulder and neck. Naruto smirked. In the morning, the tiny bruises would be covered by her _hitai-ate_ – and no one would see them. Only _he_ would know that they were there. He couldn't help but feel possessive. Hinata had allowed him to leave his mark on her. She had freely given herself to him. She was _his_.

_But for how much longer? Days? Weeks? A few more months?_

Naruto closed his eyes and released a shaky breath.

_No. _ He told himself firmly.

It was no good borrowing trouble. Hinata was here _now_. He would treasure this time with her. He would take whatever love and affection she was willing to give him and be satisfied with it. He wasn't going to push her for more – which meant no more wishful thoughts of marriage.

He sighed regretfully.

It had been nice to dream about while it had lasted, but he couldn't take the chance. It was too risky. If he proposed and it scared her away, or even worse, if she rejected him completely...

_No. I can't. Not when I just got her back!_

Hinata shifted a little in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. The movement caused a lock of hair to fall across her face and tickle her nose. She pouted adorably and made a small sound of discontent, apparently not liking the irritation. Naruto pushed aside his depressing thoughts and grinned at the sight. He carefully brushed the offending hair from her face, trying hard not to wake her, but despite his efforts, Hinata's eyes fluttered open. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Mmm... Naruto-kun."

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"It's okay. I don't mind."

She put her head on his chest and closed her eyes, perfectly content. The sound of his steady heartbeat almost lulled her to sleep again. Unfortunately, Naruto was less satisfied. As hard as he tried, he couldn't fully relax enough to enjoy the serenity of the moment. Earlier, he'd been so overjoyed to have her back that he hadn't asked any questions. However, now that some of his initial euphoria had faded, he wanted to know. He _needed_ to know – if only to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

"Hinata-chan?"

"Hmm?"

Naruto hesitated, but then pressed forward.

"_Why_? Earlier... you said that I didn't do anything wrong... so then _why_?" he asked haltingly. "Why didn't you want to see me anymore? I don't... I don't understand."

Hinata sat up abruptly, pulling the sheets up around her. Naruto sat up, too, and leaned back against the headboard. He watched her warily, wondering if he'd made her angry. But when she turned to face him, he saw that she was... _blushing_! She wasn't angry. She was _embarrassed_!

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I was just scared and confused, but... it's... it all seems so silly now."

"I still want to know. Tell me?"

She opened her mouth to tell him about the baby... and faltered. He'd had the engagement ring for months – and yet, he'd never proposed. What if he'd changed his mind? Maybe he didn't want to marry her, after all.

"I had a bad dream," she said, instead; her shoulders sagged. "I've been having a lot of bad dreams recently... nightmares, actually. In them, we... I-I'm always a... a burden to you... I'm holding you back... because I'm so weak and in the end... every single time... you _hate_ me for it."

"How could you think that?!" Naruto burst out. "You're one of the strongest people I know! I love you! _Nothing_ could ever make me hate you!"

"You don't know that!"

"Yes. I do," he said fiercely.

"What if I did something _terrible_?" she whispered, looking away. "What if I... became a missing nin?"

"Then I would follow you."

Hinata's head snapped up and she stared at him in disbelief.

"But then you'd become a missing nin, too!"

"Yes," he agreed with a shrug. "I guess I would."

"You can't do that!" she protested. "You _love_ this village!"

"I love you more."

That simple statement shook her entire world view. She had loved him from afar for as long as she could remember. She had been the failure of her clan. She had been the "weird" girl at the Academy that everyone ignored. Having him love her back – even just a tiny bit – was like a miracle. Having him love her back _more_ than he loved Konoha (which she _knew_ he loved with a passion) was simply... _impossible_!

Except Naruto wasn't lying. (He was horrible at it – and she could _always_ tell when he was.)

"But your dream! If you did that, then you couldn't be Hokage," she said in a small voice. "What if _I'm_ the reason you can't become Hokage? What if I'm holding you back? What if I'm-"

"Shh…" He placed a finger over her lips. "Stop and listen to me for a bit. Okay?

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be Hokage more than _anything_ else – but it was all for the wrong reasons – for selfish reasons. I wanted to be Hokage so that people would acknowledge my existence. I thought, 'If I were strong and cool, then everyone will pay attention to me and respect me.' I didn't care about what the Hokage does for the village and for the people. I only cared about what being Hokage would do for _me_.

"That changed after I became a genin. I realized... I don't need strangers to notice me. All I need are my precious people. As long as I have at least one precious person, I have a purpose – a reason for my existence. Now, I want to be Hokage because, as the Hokage, I'll have the most resources, the most connections, and the most _ability_ to protect everyone precious to me.

"I want to be Hokage, someday. But even if I _weren't_, I would _still_ do all that I could to protect everyone – because that's my _nindo_. So in the end… _it doesn't matter if I'm Hokage or not!_ If I stay a jounin for the rest of my life... that's okay! I'll protect my precious people as a jounin. The Hokage is only a title. It won't kill me if I don't get it.

"But these last two weeks without you... and when I thought we were over... it hurt." Naruto shuddered. Saying that it _hurt_ was like saying the desert was just a bit dry or that the ocean was just a bit wet – in other words, a _massive_ understatement. He _knew_ that a _Chidori_ through the chest would have hurt less.

"I _never_ want to go through that again. If I had to choose between becoming Hokage or staying with Hinata-chan, then _I choose Hinata-chan._ I love you – and I will _never_ hate you."

Hinata's eyes blurred with tears. She sniffled and blamed the overwhelming urge to cry on her fluctuating hormones. She took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Not even if I was accidentally pregnant?"

_Pregnant?_

Naruto binked. He blinked again.

_Pregnant?_

"Um... How is that a bad thing?" he wondered aloud; he was so absolutely bewildered (_What the hell does __**that**__ have to do with anything?_) that he spoke without thinking. "It'd be great if you were pregnant."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah..." he said wistfully. "If we had a baby, then we'd be a real family."

He froze the moment his head caught up with his mouth._ Oh. Shit!_

"A family?"

"No! I mean yes! B-But only if you wanted to, of c-course! We don't have to, if you don't want one. We're fine the way we are!" he added hastily. "It's just... I've always wanted... I thought a family would be nice, you know? There's no pressure! It's not a big deal, if you'd rather not."

Hinata was staring at him with wide eyes. Naruto cringed and silently cursed his big mouth. So much for not scaring her away. He bit the inside of his cheek and bowed his head.

"It was only a passing thought, Hinata-chan. Forget about it, okay?"

"Naruto-kun? Do you want for us to be a family?"

"Can we just forget about this?" he asked evasively, not wanting to lie – and not wanting to incriminate himself further.

"I can't forget about it because..." she blushed "... I want that, too."

"You do?" he asked hopefully. "You want to have a family with me?"

"Yes, very much," she said with a shy smile.

"_Yes_!"

Naruto tackled her, making her fall backwards onto her back, and making her laugh at his enthusiastic response. He kissed her again and again – hardly able to believe his _amazing_ luck. She wanted to have a family with him – which meant that she wanted to _marry_ him! His cute little genin had been right after all. All he needed to do to make it official was the…

_Oh no! The ring!_

Hinata was enjoying Naruto's kisses right up until he suddenly cursed and almost fell out of bed in his haste to get dressed.

"Naruto-kun? What is it? What's wrong?"

She grabbed one of his old t-shirts that she used for sleeping in. By the time she pulled the t-shirt over her head, Naruto was already fully dressed and tying his _hitai-ate_ around his forehead.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan! I misplaced something very, _very_ important – and I have to find it right away. Wait here, okay? I'll be right back."

"But... what are you looking for?"

"Oh... um... It's... It's a surprise," he hedged, too embarrassed to admit that he'd lost her engagement ring.

"A surprise?" she wondered. "Can't it wait?"

"No! No, I want to give it to you now," he said, distractedly as he glanced out the window. _Damn it! _ It was already sunset. The ring would be almost impossible to find in the dark! "I'll be back as soon as I find it. Okay? Then I can do this properly."

_A surprise? For me? What could be so important that he has to give it to me __**now**__?_

She inhaled sharply, as all the pieces suddenly fell together.

"Wait, Naruto-kun." Hinata picked up her jacket which had been carelessly tossed to the floor (along with the rest of their clothes) and quickly searched the pockets. "Are you looking for this?"

Naruto would have recognized the small black box sitting in the palm of her hand anywhere. It was the ring that he'd commissioned for Hinata. He stared at her in astonishment.

"How did you…?"

"Your genin gave it to me."

Naruto stilled.

"Which one?"

"All three of them," Hinata admitted. "They came to see me right after classes at the Academy."

"Nosy little brats! That's it. They are getting training time with Lee _and_ the absolute worst D-ranks I can dig up!"

"Please don't do that, Naruto-kun. The boys only wanted to help," she said reproachfully. Then she grinned. "In fact, they tried very hard to convince me that you were '_perfect husband material_'."

"They did, huh?" he drawled. "Fine. I won't send them to Lee, but they're _still_ getting the worst D-ranks I can find, for at least a month!"

Hinata giggled – knowing that he wasn't truly upset with his genin – but her laughter died the moment he got down on one knee. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She couldn't _breathe_.

"I love you, Hinata-chan. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Naruto slipped the ring onto her finger. "Will you marry me?"

"_Yes_!"

Naruto knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care.

_She said yes! She said __**yes**__!_

Hinata was wearing an old oversized t-shirt that barely came down to her hips – and her her long dark hair was messy from sleep (and from being thoroughly ravished by _him_), but Naruto thought that she was the most _beautiful_ girl in the whole world. She was wearing _his_ ring. She was going to be his _wife_.

He had never been more turned on in his entire life.

It didn't matter that he'd already made love to her multiple times less than three hours ago. He desperately needed to make love to her again. He captured her lips in a kiss that left her breathless. Then he started kissing the side of her neck – sucking and making small swirling patterns with his tongue. He relished the way that she gasped his name and trembled under his touch.

"W-Wait, Naruto-kun. There's... s-something else..." she protested. She pushed at his shoulders, trying without success to get him to stop for a moment. He was making it incredibly difficult for her to speak in full sentences. "I need to... to tell you a-about-"

"Tell me later."

"Ohhh..." she moaned, as he slipped his hands under her shirt and did that _thing_ with his tongue that always made her knees go weak. "O-Okay."

She wasn't able to speak in full sentences for the rest of the night.

* * *

One person – no matter how intelligent or hardworking – could not hope to run a clan as large as the Hyuuga alone. Not only was it impractical, but allowing a single person absolute authority over the clan was pure folly. Someone with that much power was simply too susceptible to corruption – and too susceptible to abuse of that power. These were the reasons behind the formation of the Hyuuga clan council. Its main task was to assist and advise the clan head in the day-to-day ruling of the clan. Its secondary task was to check the power of the clan head. With a two thirds majority, the clan council could overrule the clan head. It was a system that had worked for generations.

The Hyuuga clan council officially consisted of twelve of the wisest, strongest, and most revered members of the main branch. In theory, they were all equal – no member having more influence than another. However, in reality, there existed an unofficial hierarchy within the clan council. Four elders stood at the top of this heirarchy.

Hyuuga Daichi was the oldest member of the council. He was 90 years old – and the _only_ council member alive who had served under Hiashi's grandfather. He was also a brilliant orator and public speaker. In his long tenure as a council member, nearly every proposal, recommendation, or motion that he supported had passed. (Only a handful had not.) Having his support on any issue before the clan council practically guaranteed its success.

Hyuuga Kenta had been the "prodigy" of his generation. In his prime, he had been the best Jyuuken user in the clan – although Neji and several of his peers had already surpassed him. He was the security chief of the clan, personally training the body guards of the main house and overseeing the training of the next generation of Jyuuken users. He was blunt and outspoken – a fighter first and a politician second.

Hyuuga Takuma, on the other hand, was not much of a fighter. (His Jyuuken was average at best.) His strength lay in his intellect – and in his gift for numbers. He was literally a financial genius. He could take 1000 ryo and quadruple it within a year by making smart financial investments. He managed 75 percent of the clan's extensive finances and had singlehandedly doubled the clan's wealth in the years since he took over from his predecessor. He was also one of the youngest members on the council. (He was only 35.)

Hyuuga Nori was the Hyuuga ambassador to the Fire Lord's court. He represented the clan, negotiated contracts that would favor the Hyuuga, and kept the council up to date on the current political affairs in the Land of Fire. He was a consummate politician and had many contacts and friends among the nobles and diplomats – quite a few of whom owed him (and by extension, the clan) "favors."

Where the Four led, the rest of the clan council would follow – and on the rare occasion that the Four were unanimous, not even the clan head could prevail against them.

_Should the Four decide to seal and banish the heiress, not even Hiashi could stop them. _Hyuuga Sho thought smugly.

He made his way sedately across the sprawling estate, walking past the elegant gardens and koi ponds. But he did not stop to enjoy them. After all, he did not want to be late to his appointment this morning.

_Tsk. Tsk. I wonder if Hiashi knows that his precious daughter isn't as innocent as she appears._ Sho smirked. _If he doesn't, he will, as soon as I expose her dirty little secret. Once the Four know, I have no doubt they'll do the right thing. Then the clan will finally be rid of its greatest embarrassment._

He slid open the shoji door and entered the conference room where the clan council held its weekly meetings. There were thirteen seats placed around a long low table – twelve for the members of the council and one for the clan head. Today, only four seats were occupied.

Sho bowed slightly in greeting to his fellow councilors before taking his own seat at the table.

"I must admit that you've made me curious, Sho," remarked Daichi. "The next council meeting is in two days. What could be so urgent that it could not wait until then?"

"I understand, Daichi-san. However, as this matter greatly affects the clan, I wanted to inform you immediately. I've discovered something about heiress that you should know..."

* * *

Tsunade eyed her favorite blonde ninja suspiciously.

Twice a week, on the days he wasn't training his genin team, she made Naruto her personal assistant at the Hokage tower. This served several purposes. It gave Naruto valuable on-the-job training. It gave her more help with her never ending pile of paperwork. And it gave Shizune some much needed time off. Because Naruto was still very new to the administrative side of being Hokage, she was having him read over completed documents and filing them – and she was sending him on errands to the various departments within the Hokage tower, so that he could learn and familiarize himself with the way things worked. In a few more weeks, she would have him take a more active role.

Naruto _hated_ reading over her finished paperwork – and he _hated_ filing. He did the work grudgingly because he knew that he needed the experience. To her surprise, he didn't complain about it _too_ much having matured over the years – though that didn't prevent him from shooting her annoyed glares as he worked. He was never _happy_ to see a huge stack of documents waiting for him when he came into the office. He never grinned like Christmas had come early every time she passed him a new folder to review and file. And... was he _humming_?

He was! It _had_ to be an impostor.

Tsunade discretely checked for signs of _genjutsu_ or _henge_ but found nothing.

_So... if it's not _genjutsu_ and it's not _henge_, then that's the real Naruto. Either I'm drunk enough to be hallucinating or Hell just froze over._

"What's gotten into you today, brat? You act like you just won the lottery!"

"Nope! It's something even better! I'm getting married!"

"_What_?! Since when?!"

"Since last night. Hinata said yes!" he said, grinning from ear to ear; his blue eyes sparkled with delight. "I wasn't sure if she would, but she _did_! She said yes!"

"Congratulations!" Tsunade smiled; his joy was contagious. "Hinata's a wonderful girl. Have you set a date yet?"

"No. We haven't had a chance to talk about it yet, but I'd like for it to be soon."

"Yes, the sooner the better." She nodded sagely. "We don't want to give her a chance to change her mind, do we?"

Tsunade laughed when Naruto squawked indignantly at her teasing.

"Don't _say_ things like that, Baa-chan!"

"So..." she drawled; she placed both elbows on top of her desk, laced her fingers together, and propped her chin on her hands. "Tell me all about the proposal – and don't leave out any details!"

"Err... There's not much to tell." Naruto shrugged and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I asked her and she said yes."

"You didn't do anything special?" she asked incredulously. "No romantic date? No candlelight dinner? _Nothing_?!"

"Um... No?" He wilted under her glare. "We were just talking and..."

Naruto's voice trailed off as he thought back on their conversation. He frowned. There had been something _off_ about it – and it had been nagging at the back of his mind all morning. What was it? Just before he'd proposed, Hinata had confessed that she wanted for them to be a family, too.

_Why were we talking about families? Oh... I remember now._

"You know... Now that I think about it... Hinata said something really strange last night."

"What did she say?" asked Tsunade curiously. She handed him an small stack of mission reports that needed to be filed. Then she reached for the next document at the top of her inbox.

"We were talking and she basically asked me how I'd feel if she were accidentally pregnant. She seemed really worried about it, too. It was weird."

Tsunade's eyes widened. She stared at him in shock, before looking down at the document in her hands, and then looking up to gape at him again.

"Naruto," she said carefully, "have you considered the possibility that _maybe_ it wasn't a rhetorical question?"

"Not a rhetorical question?" Naruto tilted his head to one side in confusion. "But then... that would mean..."

_I'm not dumping you! I... I just... I've been trying to tell you..._

_I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I was just scared and confused..._

Hinata hadn't been avoiding him because she wanted to break up with him. She'd been avoiding him because she'd been scared and confused. She'd been scared and confused because…

_Not even if I was accidentally pregnant?_

The way her voice trembled... The way her hands reflexively clenched the bedsheets protectively in front of her chest... The way her lavender eyes watched him fearfully, waiting for his reaction... _Everything_ about that moment slammed back into him so quickly that it left him reeling.

_Not a rhetorical question! Oh, my God... Oh, my God... _

"Oh, my God!" Naruto was on his feet in a flash and racing out the door. "Sorry, Baa-chan! I have to go!"

Tsunade chuckled, then she got back to work. She glanced over the form in her hand one more time and signed it, thereby granting yet another leave of absence...

… to one Hyuuga Hinata.

* * *

By the time Hinata woke up, it was nearly noon.

She came awake slowly, stretching languidly and burying her head in her pillow. It was the first time in weeks that her sleep had been untroubled by nightmares. Instead, she'd had the most _wonderful_ dream – and she wanted to savor it. She rolled over onto her back and bit back a groan. It was too bright! She brought up one hand to block the light, but something on her hand reflected the sunlight directly into her sensitive eyes and...

Hinata gasped and bolted upright.

The beautiful ring on her hand was _real_.

It was _real_! She hadn't been dreaming! Naruto had proposed! They were getting married! She hugged the pillow to her chest and giggled like a silly schoolgirl. The sheer joy singing through her veins made her so giddy that she couldn't help it.

_We're getting married! **And** we're having a baby!_

Before this very moment, Hinata had been so frightened by her darkest fears and haunted by her nightmares that she hadn't been able to simply let go and _enjoy_ her pregnancy. A small part of her had always been happy about it, of course. (How could she _not_ be happy? She was having _Naruto's_ baby!) Unfortunately, that happiness had been constantly overshadowed. Now that those fears had been put to rest...

_I can't wait to tell Naruto! I can't wait to tell our friends!_

After a quick shower, a change of clothes, and a small breakfast of cereal and milk... (There was very little food left in the apartment, so she decided to do some grocery shopping later in the day.) ... Hinata made her way to the Academy. Only years of training in proper decorum prevented her from _skipping_ all the way there.

_I can't believe how much I overslept. It's a good thing I only have afternoon classes at the Academy today._

Of course, thinking about the _reason_ that she'd overslept made her blush bright red. (Several passerby regarded her red face curiously, which only made her cheeks burn hotter.) She'd overslept because Naruto had kept her up half the night. Not that she minded – especially not when she'd been a very willing participant! She walked faster, hoping that the increased breeze would cool her rosy cheeks.

The streets of Konoha were busiest during the noontime lunch hour. People from all walks of life bustled about the village conducting their business and running errands. The shopping district was especially crowded. Restaurants were packed with customers taking their lunch break, while shoppers browsed through the many stores (selling everything from weapons and clothing to tea, scrolls, and exotic collectibles from distant lands) that were vying for their patronage.

As Hinata passed through the shopping district, a small shop caught her eye. A wooden sign in the shape of a curling leaf hung over the door; the name of the shop "The Budding Leaf" was painted in the center in bright cheerful green. She couldn't help but stop and look at the adorable stuffed toys, the wicker bassinet, and the other assorted baby items that were openly displayed in the front window.

_I should go. I won't need any of these things for **months**, but... that's **so** cute!_

The temptation was too much to resist. A few minutes later, Hinata exited the store with a small shopping bag in one hand. She laughed softly and chided herself for being so impulsive – though she didn't regret her purchase at all.

Despite her unexpected shopping detour, Hinata arrived at the Academy ten minutes before her afternoon classes were scheduled to start. (She breathed a sigh of relief.) A sudden shout made her turn around.

"Hinata-chan!"

Naruto had run straight to the Academy from the Hokage tower, narrowly dodging obstacles and almost causing several painful collisions with pedestrians. By the time he found his _fiancée_, his spiky blond hair was windblown and wildly sticking up in every direction – and he was panting from exertion. He skidded to a stop before Hinata and placed his hands on his knees while he tried to catch his breath.

"Naruto-kun? What are you doing here?" asked Hinata worriedly. "Aren't you supposed to be working with Tsunade-sama today?"

Naruto didn't even hear her questions. His mind was still so _stunned_ by the possibility of "not a rhetorical question" that he couldn't focus on anything else. His heart was pounding madly – and not just from his recent run through the village. And his blue eyes were riveted on her still flat stomach. He placed a shaking hand over her abdomen and finally raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Hinata-chan, are you...?"

She nodded slowly and – with a beatific smile – pressed a small brightly colored object into his hands. It was an orange and yellow _baby rattle_.

Naruto was so rattled that it took a few seconds for his mind to come up with a logical conclusion.

A _baby_ rattle plus "_not_ a rhetorical question" equals? _Equals_?!

"We're having a baby," he breathed.

"Congratulations, Naruto-kun."

Naruto whooped – startling all the students and teachers in the area around them – laughed and swung her around and around until she was dizzy. Then he gently, ever-so-carefully, set her back down on her feet and proceeded to kiss her breathless.

To be continued...

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) As promised, this chapter has _plenty_ of super-sweet-cavity-inducing NaruHina fluff. I even threw in some citrusy goodness. (_grins_) I hope it makes up for all the angst, at least a little! I was _drowning_ in sap as I was writing this. I actually ended up deleting a section of Naruto and Hinata's tête–à–tête because it was getting _too_ sappy – even for _me_!

(2) For the record, I don't write lemons. However, if this chapter has you craving a real lemon, you should check out _Clones_ by **Perpetual159** on this site. It's an excellent story, well-written, and _sexy_; the lemon in chapter 6 is a combination of sweet fluff and _steamy_ erotica. Give it a try! You won't be disappointed!

(3) Author's Pet Peeve: The undeveloped, faceless, nameless, evil Hyuuga elder.

Okay. I understand that in terms of setting up a plot, the random Hyuuga elder makes a great antagonist. But... For the love of ldjafdadslkfj!!! Please, _please_ do a little bit of character development. Don't just call him "that Hyuuga-_teme_" or "that Hyuuga-bastard" or "that shriveled up old mummy"! (If you call him that too many times, I start to feel sorry for the poor guy!) A lot of fanfics don't develop their Hyuuga villains, beyond making them an enemy of NaruHina. I don't expect a lot, since I don't care much for OC's. A few sentences is more than enough.

Come on! You couldn't even give him a first name? Not even 'Bob' or 'Joe'? /sarcasm

Therefore, _my_ Hyuuga villains get names, faces, personalities, and a bit of back-story.

(4) Random Observation: Have you noticed that baby/maternity stores are often named after produce?

In my area, there's "A Pea in the Pod" and "Pumpkin Patch." I thought it was cute, so I decided to stick with that theme. Hence, "The Budding Leaf."

(5) Please review! Thanks!

EDIT 4/27/09: Fixed typos. Many thanks to Perpetual159 and hinata_fan433 (of LJ) for pointing out several that I'd missed!


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